PLANS to build a £19 million pound sixth form college in Bradford city centre are likely to be approved on Thursday.

The New Collaborative Learning Trust hopes to open New College Bradford on the former site of Britannia Mills, next to Trafalgar House Police Station.

On Thursday Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee will decide whether to grant planning permission for the college, one of the biggest city centre developments in years.

And the trust, which also runs New College Pontefract and New College Doncaster, will be hoping the plans are approved without any stumbling blocks, as the school is due to open to students in September 2019.

The college will start with 500 students, and after three years will accommodate 1,200 pupils and around 110 full-time and 30 part-time staff.

The building will be five-stories tall, and the development will also include a new outdoor social space, landscaping and parking for 71 cars and 60 cycles.

There will also be an activity centre with a gym, a four-court sports hall and dance, drama and music studios.

A separate application to level off the site to prepare for the building work has already been approved, and work has started.

Just one person has submitted a response to the plans - West Yorkshire Police has raised some concerns about how traffic to and from the school could impact the police station.

A report by planning officers into the application says: “The site is a brownfield site and is in a very sustainable location. There is also a lack of post 16 school/college places throughout Bradford and particularly within the city centre area.

“The new school will be offering a wider curriculum choice fitting with the Council’s post 16 review and strategy of having fewer but higher quality post 16 providers.”

Police had raised concerns that during picking up and dropping off times parents could park outside the college or use Clifford Street.

IN response to the concern, planning officers have said: “Clifford Street is an unadopted highway and as such the Council is not responsible for its maintenance. The existing Traffic Regulation Order on Clifford Street is ‘’No Loading & No Waiting at any time.

“If cars park on Clifford Street in its current form the Police can always ask the drivers to move on if they are blocking the road as they will be illegally parked.”

The college will be one of two to open in the city next year. Dixons Academy chain recently announced they would be opening a sixth form college in Douglas Mill, off Manchester Road.

The committee meets at 10am in City Hall.