Challenge

Vail Williams was appointed by the largest provider of further education in West Sussex – Chichester College Group (CCG) – to secure planning permission for a brand-new education facility south of the Crawley College campus.

The £15 million Sussex and Surrey Institute of Technology (SSIoT) will provide high-quality learning environments housing specialist construction, engineering and digital ‘learning factories’, designed to be inclusive for all students.

How we helped

• Collaborated with key stakeholders on the design to ensure swift approval – from our client and the architects to the local planning authority.
• Worked collectively to address water neutrality requirements for the new campus, one of the main challenges of the project.
• As a result, designs embraced renewable energy technologies and water harnessing and recycling systems to reduce consumption and wastage.

Result

• Resolved water neutrality issues to deliver an efficient and sustainable development.
• Planning approval was achieved, following on from the 2022 approval of the wider site masterplan.
• The £15 million centre will be the next stage in redeveloping the site, which will also support the regeneration of Crawley Town Centre.
• It will educate and train people to address skills shortages in the engineering, construction and IT industries.
• Construction is already underway and the centre is expected to open to students in Autumn 2025.