Future of fire-damaged council building in Southgate yet to be decided

A blaze tore through Addison House in Southgate at the start of last month

The fire destroyed the roof of Addison House

The “long-term future” of a building previously earmarked by Enfield Council for a new special needs school remains in doubt following a serious fire.

Addison House in Southgate, which had been vacant for the last few years, went up in flames just over a month ago, on Sunday, 5th July. Work has been ongoing since then to make the site safe, with Addison Road having to be closed for an extended period until work could be completed.

Asked by the Dispatch if a decision had been made on whether the building could still be repaired and reopened as a school, as had been planned, a council spokesperson said that there still needed to be a structural assessment of the site as well as an insurance claims process before any decision could be taken.

Addison House was previously used as a behaviour support service, before being closed in 2021. It was later earmarked by the council as a potential site for a 48-place secondary school for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). Although it ultimately failed to win government backing, the council resolved earlier this year to develop a scheme using capital funds.

A council spokesperson said: “Following the fire, no updated decisions have been made on the long-term future of Addison House. Our priority is to ensure the building is safe and that any risk to the public is removed.

“Demolition works to the front gable end will be undertaken this week to remove unstable elements of the structure. Once the works have been safely completed, Addison Road will reopen.

“The fire caused significant damage to the building and any future decision on whether the building is repaired, partially demolished or demolished in full will be informed by the findings of the structural assessments and the outcome of the insurance process.

“The council remains committed to ensuring that any decision represents the best outcome for residents and is committed to providing additional SEND provision in the borough, regardless of the outcome of the investigation into the long-term future of Addison House.

“However, our focus at this stage remains on public safety while the necessary investigations and assessments are completed.”

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