More redevelopment planned at Paul O'Grady's former school

If approved, the facility at the existing Grade-II listed building that was Redcourt St Anselms Preparatory School on Devonshire Place in Oxton, would be converted into two two-bedroomed apartments, promising a "more contemporary design finish to the exterior of the building"

Plans to convert the school, which closed in 2019, into 15 apartments and build a new block of 30 apartments on the existing grounds, were recently approved.

Paul O'Grady attended Redcourt in the 1960s (Image: Wirral Libraries)

A Design and Access Statement prepared by R and R Design on behalf of SPD Builds wrote that the planned redevelopment of Red Court's gym "will provide an excellent regeneration of an unused building with ample natural daylight to each room.

"We have provided ample amenity space within the grounds together with additional parking to meet requirements".

Within the proposals is "sufficient space to accommodate bins for waste and recycling within a newly created yard area to the rear".

The design and access statement continued: "The existing land has the benefit from the change of use to residential from a previous application which is now under development.

"All design elements will complement the conversion despite the constraints imposed by the existing building layout.

"Due to the size of the existing proposed layout and window positions this will provide an excellent regeneration of an unused building with ample natural daylight to each room.

"This will also have no negative impact on the street scene as it cannot be seen from the public road."

Redcourt was built between 1876 and 1879 for George Rae, a wealthy banker and stockbroker based in Birkenhead who died in 1902.

In addition to holding the position of general manager and chairman at the North and South Wales Bank, Rae was notable for his patronage of the arts, specifically Pre-Raphaelite artists.

Rae commissioned and acquired an impressive collection of paintings including works by Ford Madix Brown, Arthur Hughes and Dante Gabriel Rossetti which adorned the walls of Redcourt during the late 19th Century.

Redcourt as it is now (Image: R snd R Design Services UK / Wirral Council)

Rae's most famous commission, Rossetti's The Beloved now hangs in Tate Britain.

Redcourt was designed by Architect Edmund Kirby (1838-1920). Redcourt was to become the Preparatory department of the college housing the younger boys as the main college site lacked the space.

St Anselms Preparatory School housed in Redcourt remained an independent school under the trusteeship on the Christian Brothers until its closure in 2019.

Birkenhead-born TV presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady attended Redcourt in the 1960s.

To read the plans for Redcourt in full, click here