1870. In 2002, the college submitted plans to create four residential properties on the site, retaining one room for community use. This attracted considerable objections, both from local users of the community facilities and on principle that Hastings college should benefit from property intended to benefit Rye. The property was sold in 2012 to a local consortium of St Mary's church and the Fletcher community theatre group. St Mary's retained the FE centre for community use, while the old library and art room were converted to form a small two screen cinema, preserving most of the listed building. The college bought the property for a nominal £1 from East Sussex County Council for educational purposes, and sold for estimated £250,000. In 2010, as part of the consolidation scheme, planning permission was granted to construct 44 homes on the college's former site in St Saviour's Road, St. Leonards, which had housed the new 'Academy 6' A-level department, opened in 2007. Former Sussex Downs College Sussex downs college was created in 2001 by the merger of Lewes Tertiary College and Eastbourne College for arts and Technology. The college became the largest institution in East Sussex for further education running adult education international courses at their then three main sites Eastbourne, Lewes and Newhaven. 2003 the college took over neighbouring Park College, Eastbourne, which had got into financial difficulties and was forced to merge by then Learning Skills Council. Former Lewes Tertiary College The Lewes Campus was originally two institutions. The sixth-form of the local secondary school Priory School, Lewes and Lewes Technical College. They merged in 1989 to form the Lewes Tertiary College. The college retained its Technical College buildings on Mountfield Road, Lewes and added the buildings across the road which has been part of the former Lewes County Grammar School for Boys site excluding the chapel which Priory School retained. By merger the college has grown to campus in Newhaven for adult education, an international school and residence at Caburn House to the East of the site opposite the Leisure Centre and a dedicated sixth form college brand which continued in the new Sussex Downs College after merger. Former Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology was renamed in 1987. Formerly it was known as the College of Further Education, Eastbourne which had until 1957 been the Eastbourne Technical College and before that the Technical