by Alex Claridge

aclaridge@thekmgroup.co.uk

The King’s School is pressing ahead with its plans to develop a site in Canterbury for academic and other purposes.

It has engaged architects BDB Design to draw up plans for the Malthouse off St Stephen’s Road, which is currently owned by Barretts of Canterbury, and to prepare a formal planning application to submit to the city council.

The school wants to create a performing arts centre, staff accommodation and sports facilities and held a consultation evening to test public opinion on its proposals.

Mark Taylor, the school’s bursar, said: “The King’s School, under the leadership of its new headmaster, Peter Roberts, sees this as an opportunity to take the school strongly forward in the 21st century, in terms of new academic and extra-curricular requirements.

“It has identified this site and some of its buildings as being ideally located and adaptable for its purposes.

“The building is considered to be ideally suited for conversion to educational type use, with virtually no change in external appearance and we have received largely supportive feedback from the public to the designs shown.”
King’s hopes to submit its application for the site towards the end of this year.

If it is successful, the school will look to formally acquire the Malthouse from Barretts.