Plans backed for £10m sixth form student building

Plans for a new £10 million building at a sixth form college in Hove have been unanimously backed by city councillors.

It will replace the temporary classrooms on the Dyke Road side at Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC), which were likened to a "shanty town" during a planning committee meeting.

But the proposed three-storey block was described as "too big and too high and with little architectural merit," by the Goldsmid ward councillor Jackie O'Quinn.

Some nearby residents also objected over concerns about an increasing volume of students and staff, but principal William Baldwin said the college does not plan to expand beyond its current 3,750 students.

The temporary classrooms were built 17 years ago, and were only supposed to be in place for five years.

They were described as "outdated, impractical and a poor showcase for our leading sixth form college", by local councillor Ivan Lyons.

He said what was needed was "a college fit for the 21st Century, creating a hub for student-based services".

After the decision, principal Baldwin said he was delighted with comments from the planning committee that the college was having "a positive impact on young people in the city".

He added: "That shabby corner of the college estate will be tidied up with a permanent new building which will significantly improve the aesthetic as well as the facilities."

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