Sir James Dyson pledges £35m to Gresham's for Holt Hall development

The billionaire Sir James Dyson has pledged £35m to his fee-paying former school to buy and develop a former council-owned outdoor education centre.

Gresham's bought Holt Hall in Norfolk, formerly used by schools for residential visits, earlier this year.

Despite opposition from campaigners, it was sold off by Norfolk County Council, which said it was loss-making.

Sir James said the plan to turn it into a prep school also included an "outreach programme for local schools".

The inventor, who grew up in Norfolk, boarded at Gresham's where his father was a teacher.

When his father died, aged 43, the then-headmaster provided Sir James and his brother with bursaries so they could continue their studies for free.

Sir James previously donated £18.75m to Gresham's for a new building and said he was "forever grateful for the generosity" the school had shown him.

Gresham's bought Holt Hall for a reported £4.25m.

"Holt Hall is a magnificent setting and when it came up for sale we had the extraordinary opportunity to rescue this Victorian hall, to provide a new setting for a cutting-edge prep school for Gresham's pupils," he said.

He also said the redevelopment would feature a field studies centre and outreach programmes for local schools, including outdoor activities at Holt Hall and residential stays.

The Grade II-listed building marked its 70th anniversary as an outdoor education centre for children across Norfolk in 2020.

Not long after, the Conservative-run county council said it would close the centre because of a lack of funding and in 2022 it confirmed the building had been sold to Gresham's.

Mike Smith-Clare, the Labour group lead for children at Norfolk County Council, said he was concerned at how much access would now be given to the wider public.

"Hopefully, there's that support for further provision and schools, but that feels like it's the tail end rather than the start," he said.

"What Holt Hall represented was an open access centre for schools, clubs, colleges and the whole of Norfolk."

Gresham's said it provided bursaries and financial support worth £2.5m a year, benefitting 200 children.

Head master Douglas Robb said the school was "enormously grateful" for Sir James' donation and that the expansion was needed as its current facilities are "cramped".

Jane James, the council's Conservative cabinet member for corporate services, said Holt Hall had been losing money every year.

"We secured market value for the site and the sale to a local educational establishment and major employer in North Norfolk will help create local jobs and bring benefits to the local economy and community," she said.

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