Nearly half of the Catford nursery’s roof was destroyed by the fire
Lewisham Council has agreed to appoint a surveyor to begin reinstating a Catford nursery building left badly damaged after it caught fire earlier this year.
On the evening of January 31, a major fire broke out at Rushey Green Nursery and saw around 60 firefighters and eight fire engines tackle the blaze.
There were no injuries reported, but the fire caused “significant damage” to the three-storey nursery building at 41 Rushey Green. Nearly half of the roof was destroyed by the fire.
According to a council Cabinet report, firefighting and large amounts of water used to extinguish the fire has caused “what appears to be extensive further damage”.
The cause has been recorded as “undetermined” due to concerns of structural stability which has made the building inaccessible and hampered the investigation.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has approached Rushey Green Nursery for comment.
During a meeting of Mayor and Cabinet on Wednesday evening (November 4), the council agreed to approve the procurement and awarding of a contract to deliver the reinstatement works.
Cllr Rudi Schmidt, Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Economic Development, said: “Essentially, we are going to get the costs recovered by insurance, but we need to appoint a surveyor to properly assess the damage and the works that need to take place.
“We need to get this done quickly because the longer we leave it, the less rent we’re charging, so this is just an agreement to appoint that surveyor.”
A Cabinet report stated that Anthony Patrick Associates has been identifed as the “preferred supplier”, with their bid reportedly demonstrating “a very clear understanding of the contract requirements”.
The building was opened by Queen Mary in 1918 and originally housed the Lewisham Municipal Maternity Home and the council’s Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics.
Due to high demand some maternity services eventually moved to larger nearby halls and the maternity home closed at the start of World War Two in 1939.
The site has been used as a nursery for over 35 years, with Rushey Green Nursery operating from several rooms across the three floors, serving up to 95 children.
As well as having a three-storey building with a basement, the site is home to a two-storey coach house.
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