Paston College
Relocation
Some questions answered.
Paper for consideration by members of the North Norfolk District
Council’s Development Control Committee (November 20 2008)
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North Walsham – a centre of excellence for education and training
Paston College is a vital part of North Walsham. The Paston name has been
associated with the town since 1606. There have been suggestions that the College
is running away from its past - nothing could be further from the truth. The College is
proud of its heritage and proud of North Walsham. The College raises the profile of
the town and of North Norfolk as a whole. In a very real sense North Walsham is
seen now as a centre of excellence for education and training.
If we don’t invest now our facilities will look increasingly poor compared with the
substantial investments currently in progress or in planning in Norwich, Great
Yarmouth, Gorleston, Kings Lynn, Easton and Reepham.
It is hard to imagine the town without the College but there is a real danger of decline
and possibly demise, if it is not allowed to relocate, enhance facilities and expand.
This paper seeks to provide answers to some of the more important questions raised
about the relocation of Paston College to the Station Road site.
Introduction
Much of the coverage in the press has concentrated on the fears of residents of
Station Road, North Walsham. We understand the views of the residents of Station
Road led by spokesman Rob Knee, whose house would be immediately adjacent, to
the new College. We feel however, that their fears are very much exaggerated and
that they will find that, as in the case of the Victory Swim and Fitness Centre, (which
also attracted similar opposition from Station Road residents) the reality is much
more palatable. The relocation scheme offers a huge potential for the town as a
whole, something which has not been articulated sufficiently in the present narrow
and sectional debate.
We hope in what follows to put the facts to the whole community of North Norfolk,
who are important stakeholders in the College.
The Context
We see the prospect of a new purpose-built college as very exciting for Paston and
also for the town and the district. Our relocation opens up two prime town centre
sites which offer considerable advantage to the future development of North
Walsham. Far from damaging the town, this offers a massive development
opportunity – a much needed fillip.
The decision to move the College to Station Road has not been an easy decision nor a hasty one. It follows years of consideration of alternatives and development of
options through the 2006 feasibility study and much discussion with stakeholders and
potential partners. This year we have consulted widely on the plans and there have
been changes as a result of the views of Station Road residents. The main building
was for example, shifted 10 metres further away from the road.
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The College
Paston College is a real success story and the College has grown significantly over
the past 3 years and has plans to grow further which will benefit young people and
the wider community. If we cannot move this success story is at risk.
In 2007/8 there were a little over 700 students aged 16-18 at the College, plus a
further 50 young people on the “Entry to Employment” programme and 40
apprenticeships. Paston College also worked with 50 pupils, aged 14-16, from local
high schools on vocational programmes. Courses were offered at entry level through
to level 3 (GCE A/AS, BTEC National). Examination results were outstanding
enabling young people to progress to higher and further education and into
worthwhile employment.
North Norfolk as a whole used to be a “cold spot” for progression to university but in
2008 78% of students following level 3 courses at Paston achieved university places.
The College’s contribution to raising the ambition of our area is considerable.
What's behind the move?
Fundamentally Paston has to move to provide our young people with the 21st century
learning environment they deserve, and which government investment will provide in
colleges across the county and nationally.
Paston is planning to relocate into world class accommodation, purpose built for a
sixth form college with the facilities needed to teach a 21st century curriculum. Our
ambition is shared by the LSC. We must have these facilities in order to compete,
and because our North Norfolk young people deserve the best. Young people at
Paston now achieve excellent results. Many go on to university – improving their own
life chances and the economic potential of our area – others gain the skills and
qualifications to go directly into jobs or training. We must continue to support their
ambition – they are our future.
LSC has also encouraged us to grow and pledged to fund that growth. In relative
terms this is quite modest. The average size of sixth form colleges nationally is 1500,
and so a Paston College of 1000 is still small and we are confident that far from the
qualities and character of the College being undermined, what we offer will be
significantly enhanced and the ethos of the college strengthened. Growth is not an
end in itself. It enables us to develop the critical mass to increase the breadth of
what we offer and to give young people choice.
We have also had the encouragement and support in principle of North Norfolk
District Council, Norfolk County Council, the North Norfolk Business Forum, and
large numbers of ex students, parents and members of the North Norfolk Community.
Many of them realise the danger of turning down £23million of investment in North
Norfolk – an area which has often felt that it has been overlooked through lack of
investment.
Is this a new project ?
Some have argued that the idea of relocation is new and has not been properly
consulted. This could not be further from the truth. In March 2004 Peter Mayne
briefed the annual town meeting held at the Beechwood Hotel. This was taken to a
very wide audience through coverage in the EDP, the North Norfolk News and
community newspapers. A copy of the press release, jointly issued by the College,
the District Council and the PCT, still available after 4½ years, entitled “Paston
College and North Walsham – “Moving with the Times” is attached. There has been
regular coverage in the press since, including during 2006 in connection with the
400th anniversary of Paston.
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The College has worked closely with major economic and educational stakeholders.
° The District Council and the North Norfolk Community Partnership have been
strong supporters, recognising from an early stage the potential for the town
of the College move. The Community Partnership has received regular
reports on work since the feasibility study.
° The College made presentations to the town council in June and to district
councillors representing North Walsham in May.
° In 2003 the College turned down the opportunity for a new build on the Crane
Fruehauf site, on the Northern edge of the town, because we wished to stay
close to the town centre and to the rail station.
° Paston College has invested considerable time in exploring innovative uses of
our current sites both with public and private sector organisations, all aimed at
taking forward town “regeneration”. The Principal has served on both district
and town regeneration groups.
What is the education case for the move ?
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The education case for the move is firmly rooted in the “strategic area review”
of post-16 provision conducted by the Learning and Skills Council in Norfolk
in 2004 and its current projections of learners and skills need as contained in
LSC’s participation plan. LSC is the principal funding body for the new
college and supports the educational case as central to meeting learning and
skills needs in North Norfolk.
The relocation project has the support of Norfolk County Council’s Children’s
Services, through Lisa Christensen, its Director, and Rosalie Monbiot, the
cabinet member holding the portfolio.
The plan supports a principal target in Norfolk’s Local Area Agreement – post16 participation.
Paston College has been very active in working with local high schools in
devising the area’s response to the government’s 14-19 education agenda,
with 17 diplomas available to North Norfolk young people (see below).
Government has announced a raising of the universal leaving age for young
people of 18 (education/training) from 2015.
Educational Character of the College
The new College will allow an increase in full time students from 685 to 898 by 2014
together with increases in work related learners (Apprentices, Entry to Employment
and 14-16 students) The curriculum will be widened to include the introduction of a
number of 14-19 diplomas which will provide valuable progression routes from our
partner high schools and provide bridges from the College to further study at partner
colleges and universities.
Alongside an impressive range of A level subjects, 14-19 diplomas will be developed
in IT, Business and Finance, Public Services, Sport, Travel and Tourism, and in
Creative and Media, together with new apprenticeship programmes in Care and
Hospitality. None of this can happen without new and expanded facilities
The new college will provide specialist facilities in Science, Sport and Media together
with excellent student study and social facilities- currently lacking. The college will
have lower running costs as a result of a range of environmental features. The
project will result in a College for the town and district to be proud of.
What's the alternative?
The feasibility study explored 3 alternatives: maintaining the status quo, refurbish and
relocate.
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The study determined that the status quo was untenable. Inspection reports dating
back to the late 1950s have commented on the shortcomings of the buildings
currently used by the College. The most recent in April 2008 pointed out the
constraints that both the split site and historical buildings placed on the achievement
of an outstanding environment for learning- the College aims for just that. In addition
maintenance and heating costs are spiralling and we have insufficient space to
provide the improved facilities which are needed and which are increasingly being
provided by other schools and colleges which have undertaken, or are planning to
undertake, substantial investment.
°
The study examined options for the refurbishment of existing buildings on
both sites but found these were expensive for the potential benefits to
students. Paston occupies 13 separate buildings of mixed age and original
purpose, which makes refurbishment a tall order. Refurbishment is not a
preferred option for government which is therefore prioritising new build. They
see refurbishment, especially of buildings of the nature of Paston’s, as
expensive and resulting in compromises which limit the potential benefits to
students. Simply put, we are advised that refurbishment is not a viable option
because it will not attract funding.
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Relocation to purpose built accommodation offered the preferred solution in
terms of meeting educational need, delivering a signature building for a
college of Paston’s reputation and history and providing a sustainable future.
The scope of the study was restricted to North Walsham (and to the
preferred, Station Road site). Relocation as a solution is, of course, in reality
limited neither to this site nor indeed to North Walsham. We would be
reluctant, however, to leave North Walsham because of its position in the
heart of our catchment of 400 square miles and its railway station which
currently offers, easy and sustainable travel, and, with more coordinated
strategic planning, could bring many more students to Paston by rail in future.
Can't we build on the Lawns site?
We have been asked why we cannot build an entire college on the Lawns Site. The
Lawns site is actually not big enough for the development of a new college. At only
2.6 acres it is much smaller than the Station Road site (6.5acres). Furthermore part
of the site is in a conservation area and has a listed building which would be difficult
to redevelop for college purposes.
What about the increased traffic and parking on Station Road and the
surrounding area?
Paston is working with Norfolk Council Highways Department. So far, surveys
suggest that the amount of traffic that the College would bring will not cause any
major issues – and Paston won't move without an 'all-clear' from the Highways
Department. Modelling of the junctions in the area of Norwich Road, Station Road
and Millfield Road shows that they are all within capacity. As part of the project
improvements are to be funded which will benefit local residents including the
introduction of a pelican crossing on Norwich Road, improvements to bus
stops/shelters and rephasing of the traffic lights at the A149 junction. In addition, the
College is working on a Green Transport initiative that will encourage students and
staff to use the railway and cycle routes. "Currently about 92% of students and 33%
of staff don't use a car to come to College. Our Green Transport objective is to raise
those figures further over the first five years of the new College. Our location close to
the railway station is a significant factor in this. Understandably, perhaps, given their
age and relative maturity, very few Paston College students arrive in parents’ cars.
The “school run” is precisely that, and “uncool” for college students.
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We do not believe that parking will be an issue as there is parking for 140 cars on
the new college site. The College currently has an average of only 25 students cars
on site and has had no complaints of students parking illegally off-site.
What about other effects on residents of Station Road?
A number of residents of Station Road have expressed concerns that their privacy
will be affected by College buildings which are too close to their properties. We are
aware of their concerns through the public consultation and a meeting which was
held especially for them in June 2008. As a result our architects moved the proposed
building a further 35 feet away from Station Road. The distance between the College
and the closest house is 141 feet (approx half the length of a football pitch !) Only 3
houses are closer than 200 feet from the College. As regards height of the building it
will only be marginally higher than the pitched roofs of the houses in Station Road.
We do understand their general concerns and that they had similar concerns
regarding the siting of the Victory Swimming Pool - most residents have no
complaints about the Victory and I think they will, in time, feel the same about the
College.
What will happen to the historic buildings on the Griffons site?
The College does not own the Griffons Site but is committed to doing all it can, in the
three year lead period to 2011, to ensure that the future is secure. The property is
owned by the Paston Foundation, an independent charitable trust established in the
early 17th century. The trustees have their own interest in ensuring the preservation
and use of the building/site. The Nelson building which dates back to 1766, together
with the front and rear gates and the oval shaped lawn are all part of the listed status
and there are severe restrictions on future development. This protects them from
inappropriate development and ensures their long term survival. There is potential
for them to be restored to their former beauty as part of a wider developmentwhether it be for residential business or municipal use. The 2006 Feasibility Study
included an outline of a possible development as a residential site but options have
yet to be formally considered by the Foundation. It is, however, true to say that
interest has been expressed in the site from a number of sources.
What will happen to the Lawns Site?
The College is required to sell the Lawns site, which it owns freehold, as part of the
financing for the relocation. We are advised that the site has huge potential to
revitalise North Walsham's economy. The College, through its property agent,
Harvey & Co, has developed a number of possible options as part of the 2006
Feasibility Study and has followed this up with a prospectus for sale. Interest has
been attracted from a number of developers as well as from the health sector. The
site has obvious advantages not least through its location at one end of the town
centre. Given the ease of access to Park Lane from the bypass, development,
including parking, offers significant access and advantage to the town centre.
Change resulting from the College move has the potential to strengthen the town
centre economy not undermine it. A move from the site in 2011 will coincide with the
economic upturn which experts are now predicting.
How will the new College affect North Walsham?
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Jobs- The College is a major employer with 120 staff - over half of them living in
North Walsham. The current wage bill is £2.6million and the College spends over
£100,000 per annum with local businesses. Growth in the numbers of students
will mean an increase in employment of teaching staff, which will add to the
prosperity of the town. The College is committed to sourcing locally the purchase
of goods and services. This offers opportunities to local companies and will
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continue to benefit the local economy. For example we purchase books and
certain materials locally, on-site catering in supplied by a local company and all
premises work is done by local tradesmen.
•
Impact on the town centre-Although there are some concerns that the College
relocation may have impact on some town centre retailers, college expansion in
terms of increased numbers of staff and students may well bring more students
to the town and thus increase business. The new site is only 150 yards away (as
the crow flies) from the existing Lawns Site and the College site plans include a
safe cycle and pedestrian route into the town centre. The town centre will be less
than 10 minutes walk from the new site. As noted earlier, the relationship
between the siting of the new college and the town has been an important factor
for us. Large numbers of our students live in small rural communities. This
together with exercising the “new freedoms of becoming a college student, mean
that they will continue to be important and visible in the town centre. With a
richer retail and service offer, likely from the development of the Lawns, the
centre of North Walsham will have greater appeal. We anticipate also that shops
on Station Road will benefit by new student and staff custom.
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Local Economy- The £23million grant is a huge opportunity not only for Paston
but also for North Walsham and north Norfolk. It will give our community the
college our future students deserve. It will also be the biggest investment in
North Walsham since the coming of the railway in the nineteenth century,
bringing jobs and helping revitalise our economy during the recession. The
construction alone will create opportunities for local people over an 18 month
construction period, at a time when the recession is likely to be at its lowest point
(ie from winter of 2009)
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Sports & Leisure facilities- There is obvious potential to make the new sports
facilities available to community. The site has been designed with this in mind
with the sports hall and all-weather floodlit pitch situated alongside the Victory
Swim and Fitness Centre. Discussions with North Norfolk District Council and DC
Leisure Ltd on the details are on-going.
Peter Mayne
Principal
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Appendix 1
Paston College and North Walsham – Moving with the Times”
http://www.northnorfolk.org/news/archive2004_4776.asp
11 March, 2004
Paston College in North Walsham is considering relocating to new purpose-built
facilities - a move that could free up its current town centre site for a major
redevelopment and new community uses, to allow regeneration to continue and to
meet the needs of a growing town.
Peter Mayne, Principal of the historic college (famously attended by Horatio Nelson),
will tomorrow introduce the idea for discussion at the North Walsham Town
Conference of the business and community leaders and representatives who make up
the North Walsham Area Partnership (NWAP).
Paston College is an important and active member of the Partnership, which exists to
develop projects to improve the local economy and community. Mr Mayne's
presentation will allow the group to begin discussions about how the town can best
take advantage of Paston's current site in the heart of North Walsham.
It is envisaged that Paston College might move to the playing fields it owns on Station
Road adjacent to the new Victory swimming pool and fitness centre.
This would allow the college to invest in the facilities it must have if it is to meet the
ever-growing educational needs of North Walsham, and to offer more vocational and
other courses so it can do business in today's competitive environment.
A statement from Mr Mayne, including parts of the presentation he is due to give
tomorrow, is attached with this news release.
Philip Burton, Chief Executive of North Norfolk District Council (an 'enabler' for the
NWAP) said NNDC would bring in the expertise of, and opportunities presented by,
the wider North Norfolk Community Partnership (NNCP) to help find uses for
Paston's current site.
The NNCP (of which the District Council is a lead partner) is a group of authorities,
agencies, and voluntary and community bodies working to co-ordinate the delivery of
essential services. It includes organisations like the North Norfolk Primary Care
Trust, which is already looking at whether it (and the community) could benefit from
moving several, disparate North Walsham area facilities to a single modern and
integrated health and social care centre on the town centre site.
Mr Burton said: "North Walsham has been identified as a 'growth town' in the Local
Plan, and the services available to local people will need to grow with it. The Paston
sites, potentially, give us somewhere to put them.
"This could be a great opportunity to ensure the viability of North Walsham into the
future, and we will work with local people to ensure that their views are considered,
and that whatever happens meets their needs."
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The North Walsham Town Conference tomorrow, from 10am onwards, is an
invitation-only event.
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Peter Mayne, Principal of Paston College.
Steve Blatch, Head of Regeneration at North Norfolk District Council
Diana Clarke, Chief Executive of the North Norfolk Primary Care Trust
Release and statement from Peter Mayne, Principal, Paston College.
A new Paston for the 21st Century
At the town conference held at the Beechwood Hotel in North Walsham today
(Friday, 12 March, 2004), Peter Mayne, Principal of Paston College, described the
college's part in a potentially huge investment in the town which could realise many
of the ambitions of regeneration in North Norfolk's largest town.
"Paston has been a Norfolk and a North Walsham institution for almost 400 years but
as it plans life into its fifth century an exciting project beckons," he said.
"Paston has survived and flourished for 400 years because it has moved with the times
and met successfully the needs of the community it serves," said Mr Mayne.
"Today Paston College enjoys an excellent reputation as a sixth form college.
Students travel from almost 400 square miles of coastal and rural north Norfolk (from
the towns of Aylsham, Cromer, North Walsham, Sheringham, Stalham and Wroxham
and their surrounding areas) and even from Norwich. Paston has also developed
rapidly over the past five years as a community college, and is now a major centre for
adult education in locations throughout north east Norfolk.
"North Norfolk deserves a modern, state of the art college and in order to achieve this
Paston must move from its town centre sites, which though charming, have historic
buildings which offer limited scope for further development. The good news is that
Paston will stay in the town and close to the historic town centre."
Mr Mayne said that the college had investigated other locations but North Walsham's
central position, its status as the district's largest town, its capacity for further growth
and the ease of rail transport using the Bittern Line, were all important factors in the
decision to stay.
So what would be new about "the 21st Century Paston"?
Mr Mayne was keen to assure everyone that Paston College would continue to
provide the high quality academic courses for which it is highly regarded. He saw a
future in which the number of advanced level students and advanced level courses
would in fact grow.
"The sixth form college is here to stay," he promised.
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North Norfolk, however, has wider education and training needs. Paston has a central
role in narrowing the skills gap between what the economy and employers demand
and the skills currently available.
Paston already runs successful vocational courses including work-based courses for
pupils in local high schools. In future it will extend its range of vocational and skills
courses so that local young people and adults can study locally rather than travelling
to Norwich, Great Yarmouth or even Kings Lynn.
"To make this contribution to the well-being of local people and our economy, Paston
must relocate to modern and purpose built buildings which allow us to assist in the
development and training of the workforce of tomorrow," Mr Mayne said.
"I am pleased to tell you that Paston College has the full support and encouragement
of the Learning and Skills Council Norfolk in this project and work, albeit in the early
stages, is already in hand to put together a capital scheme to fund the 'new college'.
"My vision of the 21st Century Paston is of a resource for the whole community: a
college providing high quality sixth form education and vocational training. It will
become the hub of 'lifelong learning' for adults, a college open all year and all hours.
Planned in this way the new Paston will be at the heart of our community and our
local economy.
"This is exciting enough for Paston and the community, however I am also delighted
to tell you that an even more ambitious project is under investigation of which this
would be but a part. This would provide a unique opportunity for partnership between
the College, the Primary Care Trust and the three tiers of local government, to bring
about a massive improvement in the provision of local services in North Walsham and
a large injection of capital into our town."
"I believe firmly that this development is entirely in harmony with the spirit in which
Sir William Paston founded his school in 1606 and also with the motto of that school,
'De mieux en mieux pour tout' - from better to better for everyone."
Note for editors
Peter Mayne may be contacted at the North Walsham Town Conference, to be held at
the Beechwood Hotel, North Walsham, during the morning of March 12th and at the
College on 01692 402334 from 14:00 Friday March 12th
Background information:
Paston has been a Norfolk and a North Walsham institution for almost 400 years but
as it plans life into its fifth century an exciting project beckons. Paston has survived
and flourished for 400 years because it has moved with the times and met successfully
the needs of the community it serves - "Sir William Paston's Free School", Paston
Grammar School, the Paston School. Today Paston is a sixth form college, nationally
the most successful model of sixth form education, and so north Norfolk's specialist
college for full time sixth form students. It enjoys an excellent reputation locally,
recently endorsed by a good Ofsted report. It is then no surprise that young people
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come to the college from almost 400 square miles of coastal and rural north Norfolk
(from the towns of Aylsham, Cromer, North Walsham, Sheringham, Stalham and
Wroxham and their surrounding areas) and even travel out from Norwich.
Founded in 1606, 2005 sees the bi-centenary of Trafalgar, the victory of Paston's most
famous son, Horatio Nelson, and this year the 20th birthday of the sixth form college.
The college was born in 1984 out of the Paston School and the North Walsham High
School for Girls to provide a sixth form of sufficient size to offer a broad and modern
choice of courses to students from local schools. It has also developed rapidly over
the past five years as a community college, a major centre for adult education
providing courses all over north east Norfolk.
ENDS
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