Haywards Heath College is still on track to open in September – all you need to know

It received a high number of applicants from across Mid Sussex, and work is going onto get the campus ready.

Work is being done including painting, and the installation of LED lighting, to support the Chichester College Group’s (CCG) environmental sustainability targets.

Work on the exterior of the building has also started, which includes the careful removal of the old grammar school building and creation of an attractive outside space.

This final development will complete the original planning requirements agreed in 2008, which were not concluded by the previous management.

The group’s management team says it is working closely with contractors on campus to ensure work can continue, while ensuring employees on site are kept safe.

Shelagh Legrave OBE, chief executive ofCCG, said: “We are pleased that work is continuing at our Haywards Heath campus and our plans to open in September remain on track despite the current challenges we – and the developers – are facing.

“Although there will be some temporary disruption to residents over the summer while work at the site is completed, we are confident the long-term benefits of the college being open will outweigh any short-term inconvenience.

“The discovery of bats, a protected species, in the old building has delayed the demolition work. We had to wait until the bats had come out of hibernation before we could commence with this stage of the project.

“A purpose-built ‘bat-friendly’ home has been created and is now ready to welcome bats back to the campus in the winter.”

Paul Riley, principal of Haywards Heath College, added: “The positive response to the college re-opening and the large number of applications we’ve received from students across the Mid Sussex region has been overwhelming.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming our students and staff in September.”

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