Emsworth: Historic former doctors' surgery could become alternative school for teens

The 919.12 square metre North Street House site at 6 North Street in Emsworth was bought by the John and Hilary Pritchard Trust, which has permission to be turned into a hotel with a cafe.

But new plans submitted to Havant Borough Council are for converting the empty 2.5-storey building to a charitable educational facility for 24 students and eight staff.

Planning documents said the new proposal, called The Launchpad Project, will offer an alternative to mainstream schooling for students aged 15 to 16 years old, incorporating classrooms, an outdoor learning courtyard and a ‘real world learning centre’.

The Hilary Pritchard Trust is working in partnership with local schools, Park Community School in Havant and Bishop Luffa in Chichester, to create the project.

Plans propose a two-storey ‘Real World Learning’ building to replace the side extension that was currently approved but not yet built two-storey cafe, from planning application ref: APP/23/00250. The hotel is not in use.

The grade-II listed 18th-century site will incorporate the building of single-storey educational “pods” to the existing building.

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The design and access statement said “the pods are positioned to form a central courtyard that can be used as an outdoor learning space”.

It added: “The design seeks to refurbish the listed building, careful consideration has been made throughout the design process to minimise any changes or impacts to the original listed building.

“Every effort has been made to retain historic fabric and reinstate historic elements that have suffered deterioration or vandalism.”

The plans seek to remove several modern partition walls on the ground and first floor of the historic building to create six classrooms, a counselling room, a sensory space, a reception and a staff room with associated service spaces.

There is also a change of use needed from a doctor’s surgery to an educational facility.

The building materials for the Real World Learning building will be brick and render with detail, including quoining and window header courses, the roof will have clay tiles and timber frame windows.

The learning pods will have a low brick plinth with vertical timber cladding, a sedum roof with aluminium edging detail and anodised window frames.

Air source heat pumps and solar panels will be used in both buildings to promote sustainability, the application added.

The school is seeking permission to be open to students from 8am to 3pm and staff between 7.30am and 5pm.

It will have three staff car parking spaces, accessed from North Street with students arriving by public transport. There is parking for a minibus with a turning area and eight cycle spaces for students and staff.

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Consultee comments received so far have raised concerns, which include former public realm improvements approved in the previous application now being removed. The consultee landscape architect said: “ The introduction of three parking bays is deemed to be inferior design and will diminish the landscape character of the conservation area.”

Mike Bateman, on behalf of an Emsworth residents’ group, raised concerns over ensuring safety between pedestrians, cyclists and car users at the junction between the A259 and North Street.

The council has set June 24 as a target date for a decision on application APP/25/00249.