£10m plan to build college in Scunthorpe's Church Square
Plans are in place to build a £10 million college in the heart of Scunthorpe town centre, the Scunthorpe Telegraph can reveal.
North Lincolnshire Council is preparing to submit a formal bid to the Government's Department for Education for a university technical college in Church Square.
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Church Square, Scunthorpe
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Plans: Karl Fenney, Tata Steel training manager, Liz Redfern, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Bob Emmerson, head of human resources at Total Lindsey Oil Refinery, and Marcus Walker, head of regeneration at North Lincolnshire Council, in Church Square Pictures: Carl Gac
It is set to create at least 50 jobs when open, as well as a significant number of positions in the construction phase.
If given the go-ahead, the facility will be created and operated in partnership with the University of Hull and a range of industry partners.
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The college would have around 600 students aged 14 to 19 and have a focus on engineering and renewable energy.
It would be funded entirely using central Government cash and council officials also hope it will provide a major boost to the town centre.
Councillor Liz Redfern, the leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: "The main thing is to raise aspirations for our young people.
"It also gives the opportunity to link with the university and provide a working business day, which would cover places other than North Lincolnshire."
After opening, the college would be funded in the same way as academy schools, with money coming directly from the Government.
The first intake at the Scunthorpe campus is planned for September 2014, with around 60 per cent of students to be enrolled from within North Lincolnshire.
The remainder would be bussed into Scunthorpe from places such as Hull, Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and Doncaster to reduce the impact on numbers at local schools.
Mrs Redfern said: "I think it will give young people a really good choice and will help stimulate the town centre."
The college is designed to help equip youngsters with the skills needed to move into highly-paid jobs in industry.
Students will have an 8.30am to 5.30pm working day, They will study core subjects such as English and maths but will spend 40 per cent of their time on practical skills.
Mrs Redfern said: "We need to have a skilled workforce.
"They are highly-waged and we want high wages for people locally."
And she said she hoped the college would also lead to additional investment in the region.
She said: "If we can prove we have got a local workforce that is trained to a high level, when we are looking for big inward investment, it sends a positive message."
The Scunthorpe college, if approved, would join 33 other such colleges already open or close to completion across the country.
Many more are currently in the planning stages.
Professor Calie Pistorius, vice chancellor at the University of Hull, said: "Through its co-sponsorship of this proposal, the university is able to lend its academic expertise, in collaboration with established and emerging industrial links, to support the engineering and renewable focus of this project."
• In this week's Scunthorpe Telegraph: Two pages of analysis, including how a new college would regenerate town centre.
Comments
by seenitallb4
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 8:39PM
“have a focus on engineering and renewable energy. .... guess what type of businesses Liz is trying to attract to Scunthorpe?”
by deanodog
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 2:31PM
“They could teach all the students "Leisure and Tourism" like my kids studied at college, and come out with a load of certificates that would only be useful for lighting a fire with on a cold night!!”
by lambchop78
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 11:50AM
“I agree johnjohn, it has been very suspiciouswhen the multi-story, leisure centre and club 2k have been knocked down in quick succession. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that there was a hidden agenda when the multistorey was conveniently condemned.
No wonder the post 16 team has been recently relocated to church square, obviously this has been on the cards for some time.
I don't see it as all being bad, but who is funding this? If it is NLC then are there not better things to be spending the money on when there are existing buildings extant that would serve the purpose? or is it just another case of NLC doing what they damn well please, after all they seem to be able to do what they like.
I'll bet as said before someone is getting a backhander , this council is as corrupt and full of self centred egotistical me-mes as they come.”
by JohnJohn2011
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 10:08AM
“Totally agree ***loo***ea, I don't think we need another fully fledged college as I believe enough provision has already been created in the county. Anyway agreeing with ***loo***ea, what about the massive school / adult college complex at Ridings old South Leys site? Buildings and infrastructure are already in place with lots of open space adjacent for experimental projects and also next to South Park industrial estate with plenty of available workshop facilities. Probably more to this proposal than meets the eye like some sort of back hander's. Like has been said before very strange how quick the old leisure and old multi-storey car park was demolished. Seems that this has been on the cards for some years.”
by Noblooyidea
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 1:45AM
“Is the town centre an appropriate location for a new technical college, apart from the possible revenue from the older students and lecturers parking and the creation of a couple of takeaways and possibly a stationary shop what other boost would this give the town centre. If the aim is to provide 40% of the teaching on practical subjects especially in the renewables sector surely the college should be on a site where they could build a couple of full scale working wind turbines and a solar farm. Why not site it somewhere next to the Humber so tidal electricity generation schemes could be explored. If they expect to train students for a future career surely the aim should be to provide working examples of the machinery they will be expected to build, maintain and operate.”
by CKing
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 5:31PM
“The the extra places are required due to the raising of the school age first to 17 then 18. They have to be in training [ie apprenticeship or education.
JLC recently had to shelve plans for an extension when funding was withdrawn.
With the building of the new Humber renewable energy development, is not a good idea to make sure appropriate training/education is put in place so out youth can fulfil these new jobs?”
by pensioner66
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 4:09PM
“Where does this latest idea leave our existing schools and colleges? Less students means less funding! John Leggott is already seeing declining numbers therefore losing more would be devastating and could prove fatal to a fine establishment.”
by ExResident1
Monday, October 08 2012, 1:30PM
“Does anyone else see the irony in creating a college on Church Square specialising in renewables?
The massive irony is that they demolished a ten year old building (which would have had a design life of at least 50 years), and then spent money paving over the area. Now they want to spend more money creating another building at the site!
It would be laughable if it wasnt so embarrasing!!”
by WalterGulag
Monday, October 08 2012, 12:37PM
“@Tfi- I hope you forgive the 'snide' but quite frankly spending any time reading the comments here it's very easy to come to the conclusion that people are more than happy to say NO to everything and yet always fail to offer any alternative.”
by TFiLive
Monday, October 08 2012, 12:20AM
“by WalterGulag - I accept your reply, but was there really any need for a touch a snide at the end?”