More pupils will be able to study at an independent school in Brighton if councillors grant planning permission for the latest phase of a £35 million investment.
Oxford International College wants to demolish an old theatre, swimming pool, storage building and two blocks of student bedrooms.
In their place, the school plans to build more classrooms and student bedrooms as well as common rooms, a sports hall and a dining hall.
The plans indicate 114 single boarding rooms, with a further 26 twin rooms for pupils. Overall, the school is expected to house about 400 boarders and 100 day pupils.
The school proposes moving the sports pitches nearer to the entrance to the grounds, with the prospect of making them available to people living in the surrounding area.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee is due to decide whether to give the go ahead for the scheme at a town hall meeting tomorrow (Wednesday 1 November).
Officials have produced a report on the proposals and recommended granting permission for the scheme, at Ovingdean Hall, in Greenways.
Nord Anglia Education, which operates the Oxford International College, opened the Brighton school for British and overseas pupils last month, with fees of about £20,000 a year.
The company has revenues approaching £1 billion a year and gross profits of about £450 million.
It took over Ovingdean Hall after the former occupant, a language school, closed in 2018, with the 20-acre site sitting empty until now.
Neighbours have submitted four objections and one supporting comment.
An anonymous objector, whose details were redacted on the council website, said: “Nearby residents in Ovingdean Road will suffer loss of privacy. The block is far too big at three storeys and too close to a characterful village lane.
“The lane is a unique and historic part of our village. There will be an increase in noise and disturbance, both from potential construction and, if the plan goes ahead, arising from extra pedestrian traffic. The lane is not a safe place for pedestrians.”
The supporting commenter, whose details were also redacted, said: “I feel the plans are sympathetic to the village and the extensive grounds allow this expansion.
“Yes, there will be more noise, more traffic, but on balance I prefer this against the unpurposeful cut-through traffic to other areas. I feel the village would benefit from anything that could bring joy and liveliness.”
The council’s heritage officer described the plans as having a “net benefit” for the area by enhancing Ovingdean Hall.
The Brighton and Hove Conservation Advisory Group also backed the proposals, citing the heritage officer’s comments.
Ovingdean Hall manor house, built by Nathaniel Kemp in around 1792, is a grade II listed building – as are the later additions that were in place by 1947.
The manor became a school for young gentlemen in the 1890s and a school for deaf children in the 1940s until the 1990s, after which it was a language school.
The Planning Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm tomorrow (Wednesday 1 November). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Demolishing a theatre? How awful. Sounds like they want to turn private education into more of a canteen experience.
Ovingdean Hall is massive already with many accommodation blocks which just need a facelift.
Great to see well paid jobs for locals & investment to preserve the historic setting and biodiversity here. Far better to have a predominantly boarding school and some life in the village, rather than an oversized retirement complex or more identikit executive commuter homes as Brighton overflow.
Oh, I have an imposter/troll…. Did you get my name from the council planning site?
The planning was unanimously and rightly rejected by the committee.
Do you have a grudge against me personally? Or is this part of something to do with the planning application? or are you just one of the vile staff of this website?
What’s that coming over the hill? It’s the NIMBY core with their cramped £1 million plots previously sold off by the school pressed up on the edge of the PRE-EXISTING student accommodation blocks that are going to be reorientated away & upgraded to modern energy & noise building standards. Properly hilarious photos provided by an objector on the planning website & weird talk of demolishing 2 cottages? There are NO cottages. Is there a penalty for lies on a planning objection? How we will laugh if the school gifts that area to a housing association or similar & builds on a green area instead of redeveloping existing.
How much does this website pay you to write this stuff?