Uxbridge College granted temporary building approval
Hillingdon Council's Planning Committee has approved a temporary three-storey building at Uxbridge College for a period of five years, which will accommodate approximately 90 additional students.
The temporary facility will provide additional educational floorspace for construction courses. The building will be located on the footprint of a recently demolished single-storey structure.
The decision was made subject to conditions, including the removal of the building and restoration of the site after the five-year period. A Section 106 agreement will also secure contributions towards air quality mitigation, off-site biodiversity net gain, carbon offset, and employment and construction training.
Under the Section 106 agreement, Uxbridge College will contribute £5,184.00 towards Air Quality Mitigation. A sum based on an Updated Energy Strategy will be provided for Carbon Offset, calculated at £95 per tonne of CO2 over the five-year period. The agreement also includes provisions for Off-site Biodiversity Net Gain and an Employment/Construction Training Scheme. A Project Management and Monitoring Fee, equalling 5% of the total financial contributions, will also be secured.
A neighbouring resident raised concerns regarding noise and nuisance from construction works starting early, and the impact of the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain on biodiversity. These concerns were noted by the committee.
The temporary nature of the development and the public benefits of increased educational capacity were key factors in the committee's decision. It is understood that Uxbridge College is currently conducting a Place Strategy across the college which will include a permanent replacement for the proposed temporary building, either as a new building or relocation of the floorspace elsewhere on campus.
Further details of the planning committee meeting can be found in the Public reports pack, Agenda frontsheet, and Decisions documents.