“Educating Kent” – Hadlow College

The client

• The Hadlow Group includes Hadlow College one of Britain’s leading land-based colleges.

The scope

• The college is at the forefront of advances in the educational sector by completely restructuring its sources of funding so that it receives income from commercial operations that include a working farm, garden centre, tea room, equine facilities, farm shops and a fishery.
• Recent acquisitions for the group include the Betteshanger Colliery site in East Kent where they are regenerating the site to include developing a sustainable business park, museum and ‘green-energy-producing global laboratory’ for the UK.

Solution

• Brachers is rightly proud to be the principal legal adviser to Hadlow College Group.

Recent work includes:

• Advising on the property transactions for the proposed £40 million Betteshanger Colliery regeneration scheme near Dover, Kent. This is one of the largest regeneration schemes in the UK and significant not only in the UK but also globally.
• Advising on the opening of Hadlow Community Rural School as part of the first wave of free schools to published in the UK. We advised Hadlow College on the constitution of the academy trust, to ensure its experienced senior leadership team has sufficient control over the operation of the school to enable it to provide the pupils with a high standard of education. The new free school is situated on Hadlow College’s existing land. This resulted in a rare opportunity to negotiate the funding agreement with the Department for Education to ensure Hadlow College’s interests were protected. The project also involved support relating to the construction and development of the new school, including dealing with capital funding, construction and planning issues.
• Advising on the extensive legal issues arising from the takeover in relation to each of the K College campuses and associated properties.

Benefit

• Adapting the model for the future of further education in the UK, championed with innovative social and environmental projects.
• The Betteshanger regeneration scheme will combine sustainable business, commerce, education, energy and tourism. It will meet the needs of green technology businesses and communities in a world-class centre which celebrates its former heritage. The project aims to create over 1,000 jobs for the local area and generate £29m private sector investment.
• The free school (which is an academy trust), was set up to address a shortfall in secondary school places in a predominately agricultural community. It aims to be an outstanding centre of excellence for learning within a land-based environment, with a particular focus on science.
• The K College takeover is of vital importance to stabilize the provision of further and higher education opportunities in Kent.

Team

• All commercial services to include Commercial Property, Corporate, Construction and Employment

Quote

“I unreservedly pay tribute to Brachers whose advice and support has been, and continues to be, fundamental to this success.” Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, FD Hadlow College / Betteshanger Sustainable Projects Manager

This content is correct at time of publication