AMBITIOUS plans have been revealed to turn a ‘dilapidated’ old car showroom into a new college in Dursley.
Proposals have recently been submitted to transform the old Dursley Garage showroom in Kingshill Road into a three-storey adult learning centre with accommodation.
A planning application was officially put forward to Stroud District Council on Tuesday, October 15.
According to the application, if approved, 20 jobs could be created including 15 part-time positions and five full-time roles.
It is understood the site would have space for around 25 pupils over the age of 18 who would live on site.
The college would teach students about holistic therapy, treatments, aesthetics, wellbeing plus elements of business, accountancy and marketing.
A drop off and delivery area would also be created outside the site’s entrance in Kingshill Road.
It comes after plans to build new homes on the same site were approved in 2014 and 2023, but over the last few years works have stalled.
Applicant Phillip Pridmore has told the Gazette he is hoping the new development, if approved, will turn Dursley into a college town.
Mr Pridmore, who owns Dursley garden centre Leaf and Ground, said: “I’ve been in this town for many decades, and I’ve always driven past the site and always thought it was such an eyesore.
“It was for sale for quite some time and then I heard it was going to go for housing and there was planning permission granted for nine houses, and they were really not that nice.
“I’m about trying to invest into this town and create jobs and wealth, I’m not really into housing.
“I know housing is needed, but there’s plenty of people doing that.
“There aren’t many people creating businesses, and I keep seeing our commercial sites turn into residential developments.
“I think it's a shame, because we're going to lose any reason for anyone to come into town, we're going to lose jobs, and we'll just become a commuter town.
“I’m trying to reverse that by creating businesses and encouraging people to have their own businesses, and therefore create jobs and reasons for people to come out.
“So I bought the site and decided that what we need is something to reverse the outflow of young, bright people during term time and to bring some in. And so a college was the obvious choice.”
He added: “It could take a long time to get the planning sorted.
“I’d hope the build would be in three years and during that time, then we'll be formulating the college for the to be able to start at the time the build finishes.”
Speaking in the planning application, he said: “Since operating several retail businesses in Dursley, I have noticed how commerce diminishes during the academic term.
“Much of the liveliness and bustle is lost; as many of our brightest and best move away to study in the surrounding cities, often to reside there permanently.
“In an attempt to reverse this slightly, I propose to make Dursley a college town, as it once was, by creating an educational facility on the site of the old showroom.”
You can view the application quoting S.24/1765/FUL or see here - tinyurl.com/4na7msyu
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