Todmorden College: New look for Calderdale community college gets the go ahead as part of Town Deal transformation

Calderdale Council planning officers have approved Todmorden Community College’s application including moving the college’s entrance and the building of a toilet block at the Burnley Road site.

A new ramped access to the college – a community-run education centre managed by Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub which aims to deliver opportunities for learning, sports facilities, office, studio and workshop spaces - will also be created.

The proposal is part of the £17.5m Todmorden Town Deal programme and seeks to reconfigure part of the college building and provide improved facilities for the community.

It also includes an extension to the Burnley Road frontage, external insulation and re-cladding in timber, lime render and cork, replacement aluminium windows and doors to the front and side, external works to include the ramped access, and a pergola.

The brick-built college – originally opened in 1955 – is within the Todmorden Conservation Area and relatively close to a number of listed buildings including the town centre Grade II listed railway viaduct.

Planning and heritage officers said the proposed extension, window replacement, ramp and external spaces are acceptable in principle.

The loss of the brick frontages, which include some diamond patterns in the facing described by the planners as “relatively attractive”, to be replaced by largely off-white render and other forms of cladding, will have an impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, they say.

But the proposed lime render, timber and cork cladding and green wall are designed to be highly sustainable, which is in itself welcome, they add.

The new frontage and pergola structure will be prominent in views down Burnley Road towards the town centre and the listed viaduct.

However, adjacent buildings including Aldi supermarket and the college’s brick rather stone build itself, show different types of materials already in use, say the officers.

And any harm the new look might bring to the conservation area would be less than substantial and is outweighed when balanced against public benefits of the proposal – sustainability and enhanced public use, they conclude.