Brent Council approves £43m adult education development

Brent Council has approved plans for a new £43m adult education centre building with accommodation in Stonebridge, known as Morland Gardens.The plans include a purpose-built building for the area’s adult education service, along with 65 new council homes, 21 of which will be family-sized homes and a number of four and five-bed homes. The development, which will replace a Victorian-era building on the site, will also have affordable workspace, community areas, and a public cafe.The scheme was first put forward in January this year by Brent Start, the council’s adult education service, and was approved by the council’s planning committee last night. The scheme aims to help boost numeracy and literacy, expand digital skills and improve support for residents with learning disabilities within Brent. Funding for the scheme is coming from the council’s cabinet, including £15m of Community Infrastructure Levy funding collected from new developments in the area.The development has faced local opposition due to the demolition of the Victorian building, known as the Altamira Villa, which has been a local landmark since 1876. According to local paper Brent & Kilburn Times, there were 48 initial objections to the plans with a further 15 when they were reviewed, as well as an online petition against the scheme with 330 signatures and a 36-person written petition from Willesden Local History Society.No contractor has yet been appointed to the scheme, which is set to begin construction in the autumn.