Horsham District Council’s Enterprising Horsham and Communities teams, joined by Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery Cllr Colette Blackburn, visited Brinsbury College to see how the college is shaping the future of the rural and green economy.
From precision agriculture to AI powered food production, the team saw first-hand how Brinsbury is equipping young people with the skills needed for a rapidly evolving, land based sector.
Located on the edge of the South Downs National Park, on a 570-acre rural campus near Pulborough, Brinsbury College has been delivering specialist land-based education for more than 100 years and has been part of the Chichester College Group since 1992.
The college hosts around 800 students, primarily aged 16 to 18, offering Level 2, Level 3 and T Level qualifications , alongside Higher Education and Apprenticeships, specialising in agriculture, animal care, horticulture, equine studies and land-based industries.
With a working farm, lakes and stables, their countryside campus allows students to gain practical, hands on experience. During the visit, councillors and officers were shown how the college is using cutting edge 5G and AI technological innovations to build a skilled, future-ready food production workforce that prioritises animal welfare for the agriculture sector.
Backed by £3.8 million from the UK Government’s 5G Innovation Regions programme and working in partnership with Brighton University and West Sussex Growers Association, Brinsbury has installed its own private 5G network across the campus.
This has enabled innovations such as precision horticulture in their glasshouses, using sensors to monitor soil moisture, light levels and plant needs, triggering automated irrigation and lighting along with user case research and development of sensors and body condition scanning for their dairy herd.
Cllr Colette Blackburn, Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery commented:
It was a pleasure meeting the team at Brinsbury College and to be shown around their impressive campus. The college is not only a major educational institution but a nationally significant centre for modern, technology-enabled, sustainable agriculture and land-based skills.
“I look forward to us continuing our engagement with Brinsbury, helping to connect skills, businesses, innovation and the visitor economy in a way that supports both local prosperity and long-term sustainability.”
Christine Bianchin, Principal of Brinsbury College, said: “We were delighted to welcome members of Horsham District Council’s Enterprising Horsham and Communities teams, alongside their Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, Cllr Colette Blackburn.
“And we are very excited to be able to showcase this latest technology, how we use it on site and its benefits for the agricultural industry.
We look forward to continuing to engage with the Council and lead the way as a centre for modern, technology-enabled, sustainable agriculture and land-based skills.”
The visit to Brinsbury College is part of the Council’s engagement programme with businesses and organisations within the district that help to create, maintain, and promote a prosperous community and local economy. Keep a look out for news of future visits.