Plan to turn Grade II listed Frogmore House into 'school'

Frogmore House, in Watford's Lower High Street, underwent a £2 million refurbishment in 2020 before it was sold, having been given a £950,000 guide price, and then offered for lease by the new owners earlier this year.

It was most recently used as offices, but a planning application recently added to the Watford Borough Council planning portal seeks to change the existing use class to 'F1'.

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F1 covers schools, museums, galleries (not for sale), libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law courts, and non-residential education and training centres.

Planning documents state that the “current proposal is for change of use from offices to a school”.

Frogmore House. (Image: Zoopla)

No external or internal changes are included in the documents, but floorplans show a reception, kitchen, shower room, server room, toilets, and nine classrooms.

The Watford Observer has contacted the applicant for more details of the kind of school proposed but has not received a response at this stage.

Frogmore House. (Image: Zoopla)

The £2 million renovation was paid for by a developer as a condition Watford Borough Council attached to permission for a nearby development which included a Lidl and 92 flats.

The property, first built in 1716, has a large garden with gated parking and office space over three floors.

Watford mayor Peter Taylor previously described it as “a really important part of our town’s history” and was recognised at the Georgian Group’s Architectural Awards after its refurbishment.

Frogmore House. (Image: Zoopla)