Work to transform a college campus is expected to start within months after plans were approved last night to the delight of students and staff.

Councillors granted planning permission for Nescot college to replace ageing facilities on its campus in Ewell with state-of-the-art buildings for hair and beauty, physiotherapy, construction and animal husbandry courses.

In December Epsom’s planning committee deferred their decision due to concerns over trees, a new roundabout in Reigate Road and the impact on residents living opposite.

The college said the delay put millions of pounds of government funding at risk.

It still needs planning permission for a controversial proposal to build 94 homes and retirement village elsewhere, which will provide part of the money for this development.

Your Local Guardian: Sunaina Mann, principal of North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) in Epsom.

Nescot principal Sunaina Mann

After the decision last night, principal Sunaina Mann said: "I’m very pleased because what it means is Nescot can move forward with its planning having got a £7m capital grant.

"We are hoping all the works will be done by 2015. The students and staff will be really excited when I send them the email tomorrow."

Ms Mann, who had felt very disappointed at the delay, said she was comforted by the fact that concerned councillors had taken the time to visit the site.

She said: "It gives me confidences in the councillors that if they have objections they are quite reasonable in moving forward."

During the special planning meeting last night, councillors raised concerns about the implications of a new roundabout on the busy Reigate Road.

Councillor Chris Frost said: "My concern is for residents whose properties are affected by this proposal. Please could the needs of those residents and the safety of access be taken into serious consideration."

In light of objections from residents, Councillor Michael Arthur said: "The highways and roundabout figure very highly on their concerns and I follow that.

I’m concerned about it."

Councillor Sheila Carlson, the only one of the 12 councillors to vote against granting permission, said she was worried about increasing the college footprint by 7 per cent and encroaching on the greenbelt.

Coun Carlson said: "Are we saying that there would be a nibbling away? We are setting a bit of a precedent that may have a knock-on effect later."

Councillor David Wood said he was not happy about building a car park on scrubland but he did not believe it merited rejecting the plans as a whole.

Mr Wood said: "What passes today does not have an impact on any other applications or sites anywhere else."

According to the plans, 152 trees will be felled but 777 new trees will be planted. The footprint of the site will increase from 16,776 square metres to 17,987 square metres.

There will be a new building with facilities for hairdressing, physiotherapy and beauty treatments and another new building where students can learn construction skills.

An animal welfare centre will be built in the car park because Nescot wants to get approval for a housing and retirement village development on the current animal husbandry site.

In addition to landscaping, there will be a new learning disabilities centre, games area and college theatre entrance.

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