New Campus Given Green Light. (Kirklees College website)
Sept 2nd 2009.
Kirklees College's plans for a new campus at the Waterfront Quarter in Huddersfield have been approved.
Melanie Brooke, Vice-Principal Corporate Services at Kirklees College said:
'In July the College submitted the final proposals for a new campus at the Waterfront Quarter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). All thirteen Further Education (FE) building projects selected nationally to proceed to this stage of development had to demonstrate `best value for money'.
The Council, the College, Sellers International and the Property Developer (Strategic Sites) have worked very hard for some time now to ensure that our project was worthy of receiving LSC approval.
We are delighted to announce that the College's plans have been approved by the National LSC. This really is wonderful news as we now have the go ahead to begin work on this exciting development which will give the people of Kirklees a fantastic place to learn and work.
The total cost of the project will be around £85 million of which the LSC is a major contributor alongside the Council and the College itself. We plan to start work at the site in autumn of 2009 and open the building to learners in 2012.
This development in Huddersfield marks the beginning of a major accommodation strategy for Kirklees College which will also include plans for a new campus in Dewsbury town centre. These new campuses really will provide fantastic opportunities for individuals, help local companies prosper and play a big part in the regeneration of Kirklees.
Councillor Mehboob Khan, leader of Kirklees Council, welcomed the news and emphasised the benefits that the Waterfront Quarter Development and the new college will bring to the town.
He said:
'This is fantastic news. The skills of our people are fundamental to the future prosperity of this town and the wider Kirklees area. It has been a long road to securing the funding of this project, but now we can get underway, bringing new jobs and investment, opening up the Huddersfield waterfront and creating a great new building on a prominent ring road site.'