Construction college thrown £17m lifeline
WEST Norfolk's National Construction College (NCC) has secured a £17 million lifeline in its fight against closure.
The Bircham Newton college, which employs around 700 people, has been celebrating after the Learning and Skills Council agreed to provide the funding for its redevelopment plans.
In order to qualify for the cash, the NCC must make a contribution of 4.3 million, which it hopes to raise through the development of 24 homes on part of the campus.
Skills Minister David Lammy: "We are amidst the busiest building programme in the UK since the Second World War so I am extremely pleased that we have been able to confirm this support for a college that makes such a vital contribution to the construction industry.
"In today's age of global competition, investing in the skills of new entrants and those already in the workforce has never been more important." The college, which has been at Bircham Newton for 40 years, has been threatened with closure since plans to raise cash for a flagship centre were refused.
It wanted to sell land next to the campus for the development of 250 new homes, in order to raise up to 20 million needed to replace dilapidated student accommodation and facilities.
But the plan was thrown out after a lengthy planning inquiry ruled the scale of the development was not justified, and an appeal was also rejected.
Now the college's plans for a scaled-down redevelopment look hopeful – provided planners at West Norfolk Council approve the application for the 24 homes when they next meet on Monday, November 5.
Mr Colin Wood, chief executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) said: "This year alone, the industry will see the start of 13,000 projects worth 160bn and the industry remains extremely buoyant, so a steady supply of skilled people is an absolute necessity.
"The National Construction College has been an indispensable industry resource for more than 40 years, so today's news is of great importance, not only for the thousands of trainees that come through its doors each year, but for the industry and its ability to deliver essential construction programmes well into the future."
Mr David Boyden, director of the National Construction College, added: "This is the news we've been hoping for; it means we can continue to deliver specialist construction training to an industry that we have served for over 40 years."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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