Armadale Nursery School, Academy Street, Armadale

Single storey, 8-bay pavilion-plan (H-plan with addition central pavilion to S) former infant school with low single storey modern extension to right return of SW pavilion. Squared and snecked stugged sandstone rock-faced rubble; hoodmoulds; breaking eaves dormers. BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: coped coursed rubble wall to S (along High Academy Street) and to N (behind primary school); square-plan gatepiers to S, bell-cast caps.

After a lengthy battle with existing Subscription School trustees, the School Board of Bathgate Parish (instituted after the 1872 School Board of Scotland Act) was able to erect 2 board schools, as well as a schoolmaster's house (not part of the Statutory List), in Armadale on a new site north of the Established Church in 1878. As Armadale's population continued to grow and the age of school leavers was increased to 14 (in 1901), a 3rd school was built on the site around 1906. Shortly thereafter, one of the original 1878 schools was greatly extended to provide even more accommodation for its pupils.

Although altered only slightly by a modern 20th century link extension, the Armadale schools remain a landmark for the town set on an elevated site above Armadale's main street. The 2-storey and mezzanine 1911 former senior school (now the primary school) is the main focus of the site and boasts fine exterior and interior detailing, including an unaltered central double-hall and an elaborate double-staircase. (Historic Scotland)

2002: Following closure, the school is declared surplus to educational requirements and is vacated. It is subsequently withdrawn from the market following requests from the local community that community uses be explored. The school is later listed following a local campaign, and a planning brief is prepared. November 2002: The school is C(S)-listed. January 2003: Local planners report that West Lothian Council is now exploring the feasibility of converting the school into a library. Emergency repair works have been initiated. April 2003: External inspection reveals the school to remain vacant, though boarded up and secure. 2004: Site sold with approved planning brief based on up to 4 residential units. September 2006: Local planning authority report that an application has been submitted for the conversion of the school to 6 units.

January 2007: Listed Building Consent for for conversion into 6 dwelling houses by Limefield Contracts is refused

February 2008: Listed Building Consent for conversion into 6 houses is lodged 0174/LBC/08 by Lucas Land Purchases Ltd.

March 2008: External inspection finds the building to remain vacant and boarded up. It appears that basic maintenance is being undertaken.

August 2010: External inspection finds the building remains derelict and is deteriorating. The roof to High Academy Street is in poor condition. Rainwater goods are lost or non-functional. The windows remain boarded up. The boundary wall has partly collapsed. A flat roofed section to front is sagging. Listed building consent ref: 0174/LBC/08 is withdrawn, with new applications for conversion of the school to 6 houses being lodged ref: 0397/LBC/08 & 0403/FUL/08. In a report to the Development Control Committee, local planners have recommended refusal of the applications. In summary, whilst the principle of conversion of the building to residential use had been accepted and granted for 4 houses, conversion to 6 was not considered to be acceptable due to lack of educational capacity. The proposals were also deemed to be contrary to the development plan and emerging local policies.

3 July 2013: Local planners advise that conversion to residential use is now approved as section 75 agreements, outlining developer contributions, has been signed.

23 March 2015: External inspection finds the building has suffered a fire (August 2012)since the last site visit and part of the roof covering is now burned out. Other areas of sarking are exposed, coping stones have been removed at lower levels of the gables as well as some wallhead stones. Condition moved to Very Poor and Risk to High.

20 August 2021: Listed building consent for demolition of the former school was refused (0370/LBC/20) in May 2020. An appeal against the decision was dismissed (APPL/0063/PPA/21) in December 2020.