Planning permission approved for a sixth form centre for Kingston Grammar School
The Challenge
ET Planning was instructed to secure planning permission for a new sixth form centre for Kingston Grammar School within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The proposed site comprised a vacant four-storey office building located within a Locally Significant Industrial Site (LSIS), where employment uses are actively protected. The central planning risk was clear: education use is not automatically supported within protected employment areas. Any loss of office floorspace required strong justification, particularly in a borough where employment land supply is closely monitored. Key constraints included: Location within a designated LSIA with policy protection for employment uses. Demonstrating that education could be considered an employment-generating use. Evidencing that continued office use was no longer viable. Securing a time-limited permission to reduce long-term policy conflict.
Our Approach
ET Planning developed a strategy that balanced policy compliance with the operational needs of the School. Temporary permission strategy: We proposed a five-year temporary consent, reducing policy tension and allowing the Council to retain long-term control over the site’s employment designation. Employment argument: We positioned the sixth form centre as an employment-generating use in its own right, creating teaching and support roles while sustaining economic activity. Marketing evidence: We submitted robust marketing information demonstrating that the building had been actively marketed for office use for several years without success, evidencing a lack of demand. Policy-led justification: The planning statement addressed the balance between protecting employment land and delivering essential educational infrastructure for a prestigious institution within the borough. Planning permission was granted in February 2024 for the temporary change of use. A subsequent variation was approved in April 2024 to increase student numbers, reflecting the success and demand for the facility.
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