Cheltenham Ladies’ College makes bid to build new student accommodation house and staff ‘crash pad’

Cheltenham Ladies' College has put forward ambitious plans to build a new 65-bed student accommodation house in Cheltenham^[1], which would also include staff accommodation units and a staff 'crash pad'. The historic independent day and boarding school^[2] for girls aged 11 to 18 wants to build it at St Austin's Tennis Court in Parabola Road.

The proposed development site is near the junction with Bayshill Road and close to the Malmaison Hotel to the south west of the town centre^[3]. The tennis court, built in 2000, is is no longer used by the college which uses other facilities in the town and is described as being 'redundant'.

The proposals are part of the college's 10 year masterplan to get the college towards net zero, starting with the upgrading of its boarding houses, of which there are several across its estate. Once the boarding house is completed, subject to planning permission, students would be relocated from existing boarding houses which would then in turn be refurbished.

Once all the refurbishment is completed, the college would be able to use its additional boarding capacity to strengthen its sixth form provision. Planning documents say the college employees more than 700 people from the town and wider area and contributes around £20m each year to the local economy.

The college has 850 students of which around 80% board in the town. This makes it the largest all-female boarding school in the UK

As part of planning documents from Evan Jones, submitted to Cheltenham Borough Council on behalf of the college, concerns from owners of neighbouring properties, Oleander House and Wisteria House, are detailed. A planning statement said: "Both properties owners confirmed that (prior to becoming aware of this proposal) they intended to dispose of their property.

"Indeed, Oleander House had been placed on the market with a local estate agent. Both property owners had been advised that the “potential” for a new building upon the disused tennis court to the west of their property would frustrate their ability to dispose of the property on the open market in the shorter term (until any consented scheme is nearing completion)."

But the planning statement said: "Whilst matters relating to the impact a development may have upon a neighbouring occupier is a valid planning consideration, shorter term impacts, for example the uncertainty and potential property purchasers being “put off” by the prospect of an adjacent proposal are not material planning considerations. Such impacts are an unfortunate but unavoidable by-product of any building project situated in any town or city."

The college says the development would deliver significant benefits to the college and the wider community. It details four key reasons why it thinks the proposal should be granted permission:

• The exemplary staff and student accommodation, providing high standards of living, greater accessibility and meeting independent school’s standards and pastoral care models, supports the College in attracting and retaining quality teaching staff and attracting students from across the globe, thereby maintaining the College’s reputation and position as a market leader in a competitive private education market
• The additional boarding houses would be appropriately located within Cheltenham where close to the main educational campus, arts centre and sporting facilities, reducing walking distances and improving student safety, and adjacent to existing student boarding houses forming an accommodation hub with opportunities for strengthened integration and improved pastoral care to the benefit of student health and wellbeing.
• The success of the College brings significant direct and indirect benefits to the District and local communities, including notable employment and training opportunities, payment of business rates and support to the local economy, as well as the availability of College facilities and opportunities for social integration and well-being through events, volunteering and community links
• Supports the College’s target to become net zero carbon, through delivering an exemplar sustainable development and programme of refurbishments to improve energy and operating efficiency across the College’s estate – this in turn supports the achievement of the Government’s international and statutory targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, addressing the causes of the declared national, Gloucestershire and Cheltenham District climate emergencies and commitments therein.

You can view and comment on the planning application here^[4].

References

1. ^{^} Cheltenham (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
2. ^{^} school (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
3. ^{^} town centre (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
4. ^{^} here (publicaccess.cheltenham.gov.uk)