Studying new plans

Barnet College wants to provide top quality accommodation' by way of a £40million purpose-built, modern campus for its 25,000 students, particularly the 4,000-odd learners at its site in Wood Street, Barnet.

It says its buildings at the Wood Street campus, dating back to the Sixties and Seventies, are unsuitable, dilapidated' and outdated' for the 21st Century, and is asking permission to replace all but one of them with a four-storey main teaching block covering around 10,500 square meters.

Marilyn Hawkins, the college principal, claims the redevelopment will give students the best possible learning environment' in which to achieve their aims.

She said: "The buildings are now proving very costly to maintain, and this is money that we should be spending directly on teaching and learning. The accommodation is deteriorating and does not meet our needs for the 21st Century."

But the Grade II listed Tudor Hall, which fronts onto Wood Street and sits in a conservation area, would be kept, and there are plans to create a large civic square with landscaping and seating around it.

She added: "This presents a unique opportunity to redevelop the centre of historic Barnet. This hodgepodge of college buildings - which would never be granted planning permission today - can be replaced with something far more appropriate.

"From a commercial perspective, the college also plays a leading role in the local economy, both as one of the largest employers in the area and also in terms of the financial contribution made by our thousands of students and staff to the town centre."

The college plans to sell around half an acre of land to developers to build between six and nine residential properties, which it says will improve the certainty of funding for the college's overall development. It says that students would not be affected by the redevelopment until the new accommodation is complete as they will learn elsewhere.

Barnet Council has worked closely with the college for the past three years to make sure the college addresses its concerns and those of the residents before it lodges its formal planning application.

Council planners have put together detailed guidance by way of a planning and development brief, which was discussed and approved by the council's cabinet on Monday. The college needed an in principle' endorsement of its ideas by the end of this month to proceed with its funding application to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). It is now expected to put in a planning application this May and, if approved, building work could start in August next year, with the new college opening in September 2010.

The college says the community of Barnet has the opportunity to refresh' the historic town centre and enhance a sensitive conservation area', which will ensure the town centre thrives, contributing to its continuing diversity and economic wellbeing.' What concerns, then, do people have and why?

The council wants to make sure the development takes into account transport issues, manages construction traffic to mitigate the impact on residents and businesses, and that the new buildings are energy efficient and sustainable. The development will also need to pay consideration to neighbouring listed buildings, such as the Grade II* St John Baptist's church opposite, as well as the views from certain points.

Councillor Melvin Cohen, cabinet member for planning and environmental protection, said: "The council is determined to protect the borough's outstanding suburban nature, so I'm particularly pleased that we are aiming to ensure any new buildings represent high architectural standards and complement the area's historic landmarks like Tudor Hall and St John the Baptist Church."

But the Barnet Society believes the plans are out of scale and character with the shape of the site and the surrounding buildings.

Its chairman, Barry Blain, said: "The site is very important. It's disappointing to me that they haven't come up with some wonderful buildings, sympathetic to Tudor Hall, to the church and to Barnet. The proposed plans feature a huge monolithic block running right across it, a great big rectangular block, which is quite unsuitable for an old town and not very interesting.

"With a bit of imagination they could have made a superb development there. We are very keen that they develop it because the present site is not an architectural wonder. It all seems to have been done in a rush, but they shouldn't be planning a large-scale building on a sensitive site which will be there for 50 or 100 years in a month or two."

Barnet College declined to provide further details or answer questions on funding, current maintenance costs or when land at the rear of the Wood Street site would be marketed.

Instead, the college provided a statement which read: "We are pleased to announce that the Wood Street redevelopment planning brief which was submitted to the LBB London Borough of Barnet Council Cabinet has been passed. We will be contacting all interested parties over the next few months in the run up to the submission of the planning application. The college will continue to work with the LBB in terms of further consultation and discussion with the community."