Kingston Council's Planning Committee has approved plans for a new five-storey teaching block for Kingston University, despite concerns raised by residents and heritage groups regarding its height and scale.
The decision, made at a meeting on Thursday, July 16, 2026, saw the demolition of existing student accommodation blocks at Middle Mill Halls of Residence on Portland Road to make way for the new facility for the Kingston School of Art. The building will include a ground-floor café and gallery space, a 200-seater lecture theatre, agile workspace, faith and spirituality space, and specialist technical and flexible design studios. The development aims to provide additional studio space for existing key art and design courses, facilitate the expansion of course facilities, and maintain a competitive advantage in the creative and design sectors, ultimately creating a 'Creative Quarter' for Kingston.
Objectors argued that the proposed building's height, scale, and massing would constitute overdevelopment and be out of character with the surrounding area. Residents specifically raised concerns that the building was three times higher than the three-storey accommodation next to it,
would block the skyline, blight the view of all,
and was not in an area suitable for tall buildings.
Further objections cited the uncharacteristic bulk and massing
and that the building was too large, out of character.
However, council officers highlighted that the site is within an area of mixed-use development, with existing university buildings of varying heights. Specifically, within the wider Knights Park site, there are blocks of seven, five, and six storeys, with a tower reaching nine storeys. The proposed building's highest point is comparable to the existing Knights Park Tower.
Concerns about potential harm to nearby conservation areas were discussed. The heritage assets considered included the Fairfield/Knights Park Conservation Area, Grove Crescent Conservation Area, Grove Lane Local Area of Special Character, the Grade II listed Church of St John, the Grade II listed Old Mill House, and the locally listed St John's Primary School. The Council's Heritage Officer initially objected due to 'less than substantial harm' to these areas. However, this objection was later withdrawn, with the officer concluding that the scheme's benefits outweighed the harm.
These benefits, deemed significant by the Heritage Officer, include the development's contribution to 'new, expanded or upgraded public services infrastructure' and the 'future-proofing of Kingston's heritage as a university town, and also the continued success of the university.' Additional cited benefits include 'public realm improvements', 'economic benefits in terms of employment', and 'environmental benefits' such as moving the building footprint away from the river to improve biodiversity.
Councillor Roger Hayes proposed refusing the application on grounds of excessive height, volume, and bulk, and negative impact on heritage assets. However, this motion was not seconded, and the committee voted to approve the application as recommended by officers. Further details of the meeting and reports can be found in the Agenda frontsheet and Public reports pack for the meeting.
