Extra student accommodation to be created at West Dean College

Planning permission has been granted by the South Downs National Park Authority to change the use of a house in Vicarage Lane from a staff house into student accommodation.

The Bothy, currently occupied on a temporary basis as ancillary office accommodation for West Dean College, will be converted to create six single bedrooms with en-suites, together with shared living and kitchen facilities.

However more homes close to the college could also be converted after a further planning application was submitted to convert another three homes into more rooms for its students.

The three homes in Church Lane were originally constructed in the mid-to-late 19th Century as a central school master house flanked on either side by an infant and junior school. They were then subsequently converted in the early 1970s into to three separate homes for estate workers and local renters.

If the planning application is approved, the three separate residential dwellings will be converted into a single student accommodation site with 12 en-suite studio bedrooms and communal facilities.

Supporting information to the planning authority on behalf of The Edward James Foundation, which is responsible for the West Dean College of Arts and Conservation, explained the impact of covid has created the need for the extra accommodation for its students which will allow better social distancing and self-isolation when needed.

It added: “As a result of the various government lock-downs and suspensions of on-site teaching a number of students have needed to defer their attendance, resulting in additional numbers of students requiring residential accommodation on site from September 2021 onwards.”

Parking and a new access path to the college would also be created as part of the new application.

For more information about the latest proposals visit the South Downs National Park Planning Authority’s planning portal and search with the reference SDNP/22/00010/FUL.