Master Plan for College Site Unveiled
04/04/2007
Site plan for the Crawley Campus
Initial plans have just been released for a major redevelopment of Central Sussex College's campus in Crawley, part of a county and nation-wide investment in education facilities designed to provide youngsters with brighter opportunities and employers with the skills training they need to support their businesses.
The government's Learning and Skills Council has committed to developing 21st Century facilities in the Further Education sector and the College is already well underway with a £24million redevelopment of its Haywards Heath campus as part of this sector revamp.
Around £55million will be invested in a multi-phased redevelopment of the College Road campus in Crawley, which alongside the estimated £3billion investment in Crawley town centre taking place over the next 10 years, is set to boost the town's importance in the region.
The plans include four-storey buildings to replace the existing facilities at the campus, which accommodates around 2,000 full-time and 6,000 part-time students each year. A new public area featuring a hair and beauty salon and a restaurant has been designed, as well as a planned university centre delivering higher level skills to support the economic growth in the Gatwick Diamond sub-region.
Land currently occupied by the College is also likely to be sold for redevelopment to provide additional town centre housing, complementing the wider Town Centre North proposals.
Principal Russell Strutt said of the plans, "This is an exciting time in the history of the College and we are really looking forward to developing a campus fit for the 21st Century which will support the economic and skills development needs within the Gatwick Diamond, and address the social and educational needs of both Crawley and the surrounding areas."
The College received Action for Business College accreditation in May 2006 and plans for improving the Crawley campus facilities further highlight its dedication to providing a professional training environment for business users and the community. It will also answer the government's call for further education colleges to bring learning facilities into the 21st century. By 2011 around £750million will be invested annually to transform the Further Education estate nationwide, a key strand of the Foster Review in 2005.
The new buildings have been designed by master planners, Lee Evans in Canterbury, to blend in with the recently constructed Longley building on the College Road site, which was completed over two phases in 2003 and 2004 at a total cost of £9million.
The College has already undertaken an initial consultation with staff, students, local businesses, neighbouring residents and key College partners, and a master plan is about to be submitted to Crawley Borough Council for outline planning approval.
If its bid for funding from the Learning and Skills Council is successful and the project is approved by Crawley Borough Council, construction is set to start in late 2007.
To view the plans in more detail and put forward your views on the proposals visit:
www.centralsussex.ac.uk/redevelopment/crawley
