The prospect of more heatwaves this summer is being met with dread by a college in the Mansfield area for disabled people.

So much so that it has pieced together a planning application to make changes to one of its key buildings to try and prevent internal overheating, caused by the sun.

Portland College, set in a 32-acre woodland campus at Harlow Wood near Ravenshead, is a hugely successful and respected establishment, providing educational programmes for almost 300 disabled students, aged from 16 to 60.

However, a planning application received by Ashfield District Council reveals that The Limes building, within the campus, suffers badly from becoming too hot during sunny weather.

The Limes building at Portland College, which gets severely hot for students and visitors during the summer. (PHOTO BY: Portland College)

placeholder image — The Limes building at Portland College, which gets severely hot for students and visitors during the summer. (PHOTO BY: Portland College)

So the application, lodged by the Portland Charity that runs the college, is to replace the building’s existing windows and make other alterations to “limit solar gain”.

The college’s agents for the scheme, Reform Architecture and Interior Design Ltd, of Nottingham, have submitted a planning statement, which says:

"The Limes building serves as a vital hub within the college, specifically hosting special events, community gatherings and tailored training programmes for disabled people.

"The over-arching objective of the proposed works is to remedy severe seasonal overheating, modernise the building’s thermal efficiency and ensure a safe, consistent and accessible environment for all learners, visitors and staff.”

Portland College at Harlow Wood, which is set within a 32-acre woodland campus at the heart of Sherwood Forest. (PHOTO BY: Portland Collage)

The statement goes on to say The Limes needs to “drastically reduce” the “excessive” sunlight shining through its windows.

The problem was so serious that vulnerable students often had to be moved elsewhere in the college during warm weather.

"As a building dedicated to supporting disabled individuals, inclusive access and environmental stability are the core drivers of this proposal,” Reform’s statement goes on.

"During summer months, the current large windows allow an unsustainable amount of solar heat to build up, rendering the primary spaces entirely unusable.

"For many disabled people, particularly those with specific medical conditions or sensory sensitivities, the ability to regulate body temperature is vital.

"Eradicating the drastic temperature spikes by reducing the window size and increasing insulated wall space would directly support the health, wellbeing and dignity of the building’s users.”

The college hopes that, by installing smaller windows, it would still “maintain excellent, comfortable levels of natural daylight”.

"But it would no longer need to disrupt scheduled training and events, ensuring a predictable, stable and reliable environment,” the statement concludes.

Through its programmes, Portland College prides itself on helping people with a wide range of disabilities to live more independent and fulfilling lives. It is also regarded as a centre of excellence for autism.

The Harlow Wood campus even includes an educational smallholding, therapeutic farm, coffee shop, horticulture area and enterprise units, where students can gain valuable ‘real-life’ work experience.

The council’s planning officers are currently considering the application and have set a deadline date of Sunday, August 23 for a decision or recommendation.

THE details of many planning applications can be found in public notices advertised by local and regional newspapers. To catch up on all the latest public notices, go to https://publicnoticeportal.uk/