St John's College bought by property developer as part of plans to convert into housing

A former Southsea college has been bought by a property developer as part of plans to convert it into housing.

Nicolas James Group has confirmed it plans to largely convert the buildings of St John’s College in Grove Road South with only the two most modern due to be demolished. The company will rent out the new homes while remaining their owner.

The £13,000-a-year independent day and boarding school closed last year after 114 years due to declining pupil numbers with both the school grounds in Southsea and playing fields in Farlington put up for sale.

The playing fields, which Portsmouth FC has considered purchasing, were not included in the deal reached by Nicolas James Group.

Former students include footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, BBC newsreader George Alagiah and actor Alfie Allen. The school’s trustees said a drop in pupil numbers from 630 in 2010 to 256 made it unviable.

Nicolas James Group specialises in significant redevelopment projects and was behind the Southampton Harbour Hotel and flats scheme at Ocean Village in Southampton.

Detailed designs have yet to be made public for its new Southsea site but it will hold a public consultation event at the college from 2pm to 8pm on Monday, June 19.

It has confirmed that its current plan is to convert the site into housing and that this would be progressed ‘as quickly as possible’ through a planning application.

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‘When we bought the site, we were aware how embedded St John’s College was in the community and how many local residents will have fond memories of it,’ company chairman Nicolas Roach said. ‘The regeneration of the college presents a rare opportunity to provide much-needed rental housing in the heart of Southsea, on a much-loved site that is sadly falling into an increasing state of disrepair.’

He said work carried out so far showed retaining and converting most of the school buildings, which were originally houses, back to their original purpose was the ‘best use for the site’.

‘This is a more sustainable approach and will allow us to carry out the works more quickly, with less disturbance than a more substantial demolition and rebuild project,’ he added.

Details of its plans are expected to be unveiled at the consultation event although the three St Jude ward representatives on Portsmouth City Council have already been consulted.

Councillor Hugh Mason, who is the cabinet member for planning policy on top of his ward role, said he believed the plans had been ‘carefully considered’.

‘It’s a very interesting plan and I do think it has been done with a lot of consideration to the importance of that site and its historic nature,’ he said.

The developer has also created a website for the project, click here for more information.