Tomorrow night North Hertfordshire District Council's Planning Committee will decide whether to grant planning permission to an application that will see 69 homes developed on the site.

The 201-year-old boarding school near Hitchin closed in the summer of 2021 after struggling with poor finances during the Covid years.

The centrepiece of the plan is the conversion of and extension to the main Grade II Listed House to 35 new apartments, the conversion of the retained Teaching Block to provide 8 new apartments and the demolition of the existing sports hall building, science block which will be replaced by 20 new houses and 2 new apartments.

Hertfordshire County Council Highways team objected to the proposal "on the grounds that the application has failed to demonstrate a satisfactory policy and design-led approach to the accessibility of the proposed development for non-car mode travel".

However, the popular local cricket club in Preston supports the proposal explaining that "the provision of community sports facilities on previously private areas of the estate greatly assists the continuity and expansion of sporting opportunity for village residents and visitors".

The Ramblers have said they are somewhat concerned about "the permissive paths through the site and aspirations for these to be designated as public footpaths". 

Meanwhile support and opposition from local residents for the application is evenly split with 8 letters of support, 2 neutral comments and 8 letters of objection.