People & Skills Projects. Place Projects - 30 June 2015

University centre plans take major step closer

Plans for a £6.5 million state-of-the-art university centre in Mansfield – part funded by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – have taken a major step closer.

Mansfield District Council’s planning committee last night (Monday 29 June, 2015) approved West Nottinghamshire College’s ambitious proposals for a new and larger building for the delivery of its already-successful higher education provision.

Councillors unanimously gave the go ahead to the college’s long-held plans to build a flagship university centre at its Derby Road campus to widen participation in higher-level study.

Vision University Centre 1.jpg-orig

An Artist’s Impression of the new facilities

The college is set to replace an existing single-storey building at the rear of the site, along Nottingham Road, with a modern three-storey facility boasting inspirational teaching and learning space including classrooms, IT suites, study rooms, learning resource centre, 100-seat lecture theatre and science laboratory.

College chiefs say the proposed new and improved Vision University Centre is needed to boost access to higher education (HE) locally.

The college currently has around 500 HE students on courses ranging from HNCs and HNDs to foundation degrees and full-honours degrees. The planned centre would initially accommodate almost 400 extra students – rising to 600 after three years – including advanced apprentices and those studying part-time professional qualifications and short courses.

Final funding approval must now come from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) infrastructure and investment board in September before construction of the eagerly-awaited centre can begin.

This comes after D2N2 was awarded a £2.6 million contribution towards the scheme from the Government’s £194 million Local Growth Fund, aimed at revitalising local economies over the next six years.

Planning permission is a major condition of the LEP funding, with the remaining £3.9 million coming from the college.

It is hoped building work will start this September, with the centre opening to students in September 2016. The building will boast the same contemporary design as the rest of the campus, following its recent multi-million pound transformation.

Other works include the creation of a single court, multi-use outdoor games area at the rear of the site to improve facilities for students while also extending the college’s community sports provision. Meanwhile, 50 additional car parking spaces will be created by extending one of its on-site car parks.

Principal and chief executive, Dame Asha Khemka, said: “I am absolutely delighted the council has approved our plans to create this inspirational new facility, which will transform educational opportunities for generations to come.

“Since arriving at the college in 2006, it has been my vision and my dream to bring a large-scale, dedicated university centre to the area and make higher education even more accessible to local people; especially to those who do not traditionally aspire to continuing their studies once they leave school or college.

“It’s vital we equip our young people and adults with much-needed higher-level skills and qualifications to succeed in an increasingly-competitive jobs market, and the planned facility will contribute significantly towards this.

“A university centre of this size, scope and huge potential would truly be a first for Mansfield and Ashfield and it’s no less than our communities deserve.

“We now optimistically anticipate final funding approval from the Local Enterprise Partnership so we can quickly turn our ambitions and aspirations into reality.”

Latest News & Events

29 September 2023

East Midlands Hydrogen Launch Event video published

Read Article

27 September 2023

Ratio Technology Transforms Bike Component Manufacturing with Made Smarter Support

Read Article

22 September 2023

D2N2 leads highly successful launch of East Midlands Hydrogen

Read Article

21 September 2023

D2N2 CEO Will Morlidge shares his thoughts on East Midlands Hydrogen

Read Article

19 September 2023

Spotlight on our D2N2 Enterprise Advisers: meet Anna Smith, Enterprise Adviser, Da Vinci Academy, Derby

Read Article

14 September 2023

Spotlight on our D2N2 Enterprise Advisers: meet Amanda Stevenson-Bate, Enterprise Adviser, Derby Moor Spencer Academy, Derby

Read Article

07 September 2023

D2N2 Cornerstone Employers discuss the Social Value Act and the importance of supporting local schools in new film

Read Article

06 September 2023

Former ‘Megawatt Valley’ to metamorphose into hydrogen heartland with the launch of East Midlands Hydrogen – the UK’s largest inland hydrogen cluster

Read Article

05 September 2023

Derby Museums publishes report revealing the impressive social impact of the Museum of Making capital project

Read Article

31 August 2023

D2N2 is seeking delivery partners for Wave 5 of Skills Bootcamps in Digital and Green Skills

Read Article

Get in touch.

Subscribe to get our latest updates.

Sign up
Address

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
8 Experian Way
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG2 1EP

Social

Our Partners