Wye
22nd November 2017
with Hinxhill
Mr Tom Foxall
Parish Council
Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas
Historic England
2B Briar Close, Bramble Lane
Eastgate Court
Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5HB
195-205 High Street
T: 01233 812459
Guildford
xxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxxx
GU1 3EH
www.wyeparish.info
Dear Mr Foxall
17/00567/AS and 17/00568/AS Wye College, High Street, Wye TN25 5AH
I am writing to inform you of an emerging alternative option for the sympathetic and beneficial
reuse of the Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings of the former Wye College.
For an overview of this option, please see the attached initial feasibility report dated
17th November from Robert Lucas, Chief Executive of the Field Studies Council (FSC), and the
reply from Richard Alderton, Director of Place and Space, at Ashford Borough Council.
Regarding the planning application above, the applicant’s case for change of use is based on the
premise that there is no educational use or interest in these listed buildings, therefore residential
use is the only viable option. However, this premise is clearly false.
In summary, the Parish Council objects strongly on heritage and other grounds. These are
principally the harm and the loss of integrity arising from the proposed extensive alterations and
subdivision of the buildings, the loss of public use and other benefits. The applicant aims to alter
coherent, serviceable and very special institutional buildings into an exclusive, gated residential
development. If permitted, the proposed structural and tenure changes will cause harm to the
buildings and their setting. This change of use will also end centuries of public benefit, deny
future public use of Wye College, and harm the Wye Conservation Area. Yet harm is avoidable -
if Wye College remains in educational use under sympathetic new management.
Please be aware that in April 2017 the Parish Council nominated the Latin School and the
adjacent Green as Assets of Community Value. The applicant did not appeal and Ashford
Borough Council registered these ACVs in June. ABC’s report on the Latin School (attached)
includes quotes from the Parish Council’s nomination form. This shows the strength of local
support for Wye’s heritage, and the need for additional space in Wye for community use.
For your information, I will also send you by separate email the Wye Village Design Group’s
objection, as this substantial critique is not visible on Ashford Borough Council’s website.
Yours sincerely
Mrs V A McLean
Clerk to the Parish Council
Encs Initial feasibility report from the Field Studies Council, November 2017
Reply from Richard Alderton, Director of Place and Space, Ashford Borough Council
Latin School Asset of Community Value Registration June 2017
WYE3 Masterplan 1st draft Vil age Design Group position paper