Design changes delay college opening date

The planned date for the first pupils to enjoy the 35m facility has been put back to September 2010.

The extra 12 months was sought by West Sussex County Council to develop a design which will really transform learning on the Westloats Lane campus.

The government has accepted the change after proposing the original opening date as a condition of its funding for the new college.

A team of architects, county council officers, teachers and governors are working on the design of all the new buildings.

Cllr Mark Dunn, the county councillor in charge of children and young peoples' services, explained: 'This is a huge project which is going to completely transform the education of thousands of children and young people, both now and in the future. Therefore, it is important we get it right.'

The revised opening date has prompted a change to the sequence of works on the campus.

The planning masterplan now has the new community college being built next to The Glade Infant School instead of on the school site.

This means work can start on the new college without the need to move The Glade first.

A further effect of the change enables the new 8m primary school, which will replace The Glade and Michael Ayres, to be built in one phase rather than two.

It was originally intended to build the new infant school this year ready for opening in September 2008 and add the junior classrooms to complete the new school two years later.

'I am confident the revised sequence of work will enable us to provide brand-new state-of-the-art establishments, fit for the 21st century,' said Cllr Dunn.

'The building work will be very carefully managed to minimise disruption to everyone who uses the campus and local residents,'

The changes have been backed by parents and staff on the campus.

Various surveys of the site are being carried out. The most visible of them is the archaeological excavation.

Areas of the school have been fenced off while trenches are being dug and archaeologists examine any findings.

All the fields will be reinstated for the autumn term.

The last building work on part of the site, for housing as part of The Arena sports centre opening in September 1999, revealed signs of Roman occupation to inspire the Roman Fields name for the homes.