We use cookies to improve your online experiences. To learn more and choose your cookies options, please refer to our cookie policy.
Planning Consultation
Oxford International College Brighton prides itself on offering an exceptional education to students. Our vision is to develop and enhance the site to offer high quality education facilities and boarding accommodation. Equally important is our role as part of the Ovingdean village community and we want to consult residents on our revised plans to improve the College.
Submit your feedback
PHASE 1
Since 2022 a series of planning permissions and listed building consent applications have been approved by Brighton and Hove City Council. These upgraded the Gilbert, Kepler and Turing buildings and the main Ovingdean Hall and Ovingdean Wing buildings.
PHASE 2
We are committed to continue investing in the site. In November 2023 a planning application for Phase 2 of the upgrade was refused. (Planning Application Ref: BH2023/00830 and BH2023/00831). The Council’s refusal was a setback, we are keen to work with neighbours, councillors and officers to develop designs that address the previous concerns raised to find a solution.
A FRESH APPROACH
The previous application was refused as it failed to preserve or enhance the distinct character of the Ovingdean Conservation Area and would have had an unacceptable harmful impact upon the amenity of residents.
A new team has been assembled with the opportunity to look at the Ovingdean Site with a fresh perspective. By listening to, engaging with we have learnt from residents and have come up with a revised plan.
The revised proposals aim to:
- Minimise interventions on existing infrastructure.
- Retain and retrofit existing buildings.
- Provide new buildings at an appropriate scale and separation from neighbouring properties.
- Apply a sensitive design approach that responds to the existing architecture at the college and in Ovingdean.
North Site
North Site
The North Site is proposed to include a new boarding house in place of the old MUGA, designed with a form and materiality that echo the Kepler Building and a two-storey academic extension, replacing poor-quality storage, to enhance teaching capacity.
North Side
The aim is to repair the mistakes of the past by removing the unsightly Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and creating a balanced composition with Ovingdean Hall as the centrepiece.
The revised Phase 2 proposals look to enhance the college’s presence within the historic fabric of the Ovingdean conservation area.
As part of the revised proposals the theatre, swimming pool, Littleton and Beacon buildings are all retained and retrofitted.
It is proposed that the existing MUGA site to the east of Ovingdean Hall is redeveloped into a part 2 and part 3 storey new building providing boarding accommodation.
A two-storey teaching extension is proposed to replace poor quality single storey storage to the rear of Ovingdean Hall.
The massing of the boarding building has been carefully developed to be subservient to Ovingdean Hall and respond to the context already existing on the site.
The form of the Kepler Building sitting on the opposite side of Ovingdean Hall has been closely followed in massing and materiality, this has been developed through a series of moves that included roof design, stepping the massing, and recessing of the elevations.
South Site
South Site
The South of the site has been identified as a potential development area for a series of low-rise interconnected buildings inspired by traditional stable blocks. The design features careful orientation and stepped massing to minimise visual impact and a layout informed by arboricultural advice to preserve important trees.
South Side
The South of the site has been identified as a potential development area. Its location and distance from the main teaching building lends itself to a boarding house for older students. Options have been tested in regard to appropriate scale and mass of this new build to consider neighbouring properties in addition to its setting with Ovingdean Hall.
Consulting with an arboriculturist to identify trees of significant importance and those which can be removed, the proposed new build is to be sensitive to these constraints.
Inspired by the Manor house stable block, we are proposing a series of connected buildings, integrated into the landscape.
The massing has been developed to respond to the scale of the neigbouring properties and the tree layout.
Reducing the eaves level and introducing dormers orientated away from surrounding properties has enabled the mass to be kept as low as possible, whilst offsetting the buildings helps to reduce the overall mass into a series of smaller elements.
MUGA and site-wide landscape enhancement
MUGA and site-wide landscape enhancement
The amended proposals include a new MUGA in the southern area of the site farther from residential homes and tree planting and an acoustic fence to reduce noise and enhance privacy.
Further landscape and ecological enhancements are proposed, including replacement tree planting to promote biodiversity.
MUGA and site-wide landscape enhancement
The amended proposals include a new MUGA with tree planting and acoustic fence to screen from the residential properties to the south.
Further landscape and ecological enhancements are proposed, including replacement tree planting.
As the previous application proposal, the MUGA will be available for public use in accordance with a management plan to be agreed with the local planning authority.
It is considered that locating the MUGA on the southern part of the site, further away from the main college teaching buildings, will help encourage its public use and maximise the associated community benefits.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
We have presented a number of engagement opportunities since the previous application was refused. We have had meetings and will continue to meet with local residents from Woodland Walk and Beacon Court and a previous public exhibition in July 2024.
The next engagement session will be a held on 6th May between 4pm and 7:30pm at Ovingdean Hall. This will be opportunity to meet staff and students from the college and find out about our proposals for development. There will be a chance for attendees to meet the project team, ask questions and give feedback to the team.
Public Consultation Invitations - May 6th 2025
Public Consultation Invitation_6th_May_2025.pdf (182 KB)
