A college fighting for survival has been given the go-ahead by its local council for a major redevelopment needed to repay a £23 million government clawback.
Brooklands College’s plan to refurbish its facilities and redevelop some of its land into homes was handed conditional approval by Elmbridge Borough Council in December, according to its newly published 2023 accounts.
The college told FE Week the approval puts it in a “strong position for the future” after it was embroiled in an apprenticeship subcontracting scandal in 2019 that left it with a £25 million debt owed to the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
The development will deliver a new three-storey college building and sports hall and will convert two buildings into over 300 homes – some of which will be earmarked for affordable housing, as well as providing new green space.
