2024 started on a high note when Harrow Council’s Planning Committee unanimously voted to approve the proposals for Stanmore College, the latest success for our team in education related projects.

The resolution to grant planning permission paves the way for the creation of state-of-the-art teaching facilities, a new sports hall and community facilities, as well as significant enhancements to the landscaping around the College.

Whilst graded as Good by Ofsted, the College has been identified as one of 17 across England that are “nearing the end of their life” and has been selected as part of a £600 million redevelopment programme.

With support from the Department for Education and delivery partner Bouygues UK, the College are proposing to redevelop the substandard buildings on site to provide high-quality teaching and sports facilities, and new amenity spaces for the community they serve.

We were appointed by Bouygues UK in May 2023 and led a comprehensive programme of engagement with the community, faculty, students and local stakeholders. This included a well-received consultation event at the College alongside engagement with local residents’ groups, the ward councillors and Member of Parliament.

A focal part of our approach was to ensure the staff and students at the College were actively engaged and had ample opportunity to share their views on the plans – including their strong views on the type of food vendors in the new cafeteria! We organised a dedicated preview event exclusively for the staff and students, which provided an invaluable opportunity for staff, who are intimately involved in the daily operations of the College, to provide feedback on the proposed plans. Their insights and endorsement proved pivotal in refining the plans and allowing them to move forward to delivery.

Utilising the collaborative expertise of the project architects, Jestico + Whiles, we embraced cutting-edge technology by incorporating virtual reality into the consultation event, enabling participants to fully immerse themselves in the proposed plans.

Whilst this was only the second time we have employed VR technology at one of our consultation events, both local residents and College staff lauded it as effective tool for visualising the future College within its intended context – particularly important when discussing matters such as the height and massing of the proposed buildings.

The redevelopment of Stanmore College marks a substantial investment of around £60 million into the College and the borough of Harrow. We’re delighted to have supported the Department for Education and Bouygues UK, an excellent start to 2024!

This milestone adds to our team’s reputation in the education sector, building on previous successes including:

  • Putney High School, Girls’ Day School Trust (LB Wandsworth)
  • Northwood College for Girls, Girls’ Day School Trust (LB Hillingdon)
  • Streatham & Clapham High School, Girls’ Day School Trust (LB Lambeth)
  • Old Southwark Fire Station, Hadston (LB Southwark)
  • Barnes SEND School, South West London and St George’s NHS Mental Health Trust (LB Richmond)