After months of waiting for any news at all about the plans for the redevelopment of the Lambeth College site on Brixton Hill, the Government has finally announced its outline plans for the site that it bought from the College for £18million.

Brixton Hill residents have been invited to an ‘open forum’ discussion at the site on November 19, before the formal consultation process begins.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has confirmed the redeveloped site will be home to  adult education and training facilities for Lambeth College, the new Trinity Academy and the 14-19 Southbank University Technical College in partnership with London Southbank University and employer sponsors. They say the new buildings and provision will aim to cater for almost 2,000 learners at a time.

We welcome the news that residents will finally be consulted and that a University Technical College is to be part of the site, although we will be seeking safeguards on how the different uses of the site work together and affect local residents.

It is disappointing however that millions are still to be spent on Trinity Academy free school, which opened earlier this year with just 17 pupils, when there are 226 vacancies across other Lambeth schools. Cllr Imogen Walker, deputy leader of Lambeth Council, said: “We want every child in Lambeth to have the best education possible and a near-empty free school in an area that already has adequate provision will not help that aim in any way.”

The aim of the open forum will apparently be to provide an opportunity to share information and answer questions about the proposed scheme. The event will take place on November 19 from 4pm-8pm, at the Trinity Academy, entrance on Horsford Road, towards the back of the Lambeth College.

The EFA have published the following proposed timeline for the developments:

• End of Feasibility stage – November 2014
• Design Development – up to end of January 2015
• Public consultation – January – March 2015
• Town planning submission – March 2015
• Town planning decision – June 2015
• Start on site (subject to approvals) – July 2015
• Project completion – targeted for early 2018