Hove school gets portakabin classrooms after devastating fire

Part of Blatchington Mill in Nevill Avenue, Hove, was gutted in the fire earlier this year. 

Firefighters were called to the secondary school at around 5.40pm on January 17 to smoke billowing out of the building and they battled throughout the night to bring it under control.

The fire in January this year (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Now, the school has installed temporary portakabin classrooms to reinstate practical lessons in food technology and design technology. 

• READ MORE: School 'returning to normal' after fire with children back in full-time

In the retrospective plans, submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council, a spokesman for Portakabin said: "Due to the recent fire that occurred at this popular secondary school, six classrooms, a stairwell, a toilet block and connecting corridors were severely affected and are currently out of use.

"The school is therefore in urgent need for teaching space to resume practical lessons in two popular subjects.

"The Portakabin buildings were selected because of the flexible solution they provide. These buildings can be hired for the required period and removed at the end of that period.

"The prefabricated and temporary nature of the buildings results in minimal impact on the environment and surrounding area. Moreover, these buildings can be installed quickly, enabling Blatchington Mill School to begin using them immediately after installation."

This map shows the location of the portakabins (Image: BHCC)

The school has applied for the Portakabins to be in place for ten months and said it will to remove the Portakabins as soon as remedial works are complete. 

The temporary classrooms are in the car park to the west of the school buildings and comprise three design technology classrooms and three food technology classrooms staffed by six teachers and two technicians.