Walsingham Planning holds extensive experience in working on behalf of Further Education Institutions across the Country. This has related to schemes for new or extended educational facilities, new car parking and amenity areas and the disposal of land for alternative uses, notably residential.
We have advised Cardinal Newman College in Preston for over 10 years. In this time we have secured planning permission for a number of significant schemes, which together have delivered in excess of 8,000 sq m of new floorspace in a number of new purpose built buildings.
We have also been involved in schemes to extend and reconfigure existing buildings and provide improved sports facilities. These permissions have enabled the College to double in size over the last decade and significantly improve its accommodation and facilities.
The College is located on a number of separate heavily constrained sites within a densely populated residential area of south east Preston. Part of the College’s estate is also statutorily listed and the grounds are an undesignated heritage asset, containing various protected trees.
Walsingham Planning has been heavily involved in assisting the College in identifying new sites for growth, providing advice on their planning prospects and supporting funding bids.
Our team has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Colleges estate and development requirements and the planning issues that are raised with schemes for new accommodation and facilities. This has been gained from working and supporting various Colleges over a prolonged period of time and building strong working relations with them together with Local Planning Officers.