New College Wellington in expansion plans

An artist's impression of how New College, Wellington, would look

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Plans for a £2.5 million expansion of a Shropshire college were unveiled for the first time today to help with an increase in student numbers.

New College in Wellington, Telford, takes in more than 1,000 students every year from all over the county and has reported a 16 per cent growth in numbers over the last four years.

A planning application has now been submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council asking for permission to demolish a single-storey building and replace it with a two-storey block taking in new classrooms along with a state-of-the-art fitness suite and changing rooms.

A report submitted with the application says: “Teaching and learning, refectory and student social space is at a premium.

“There is growing evidence that, based on current levels of student recruitment, the college has ‘outgrown’ existing facilities.

“The proposed development will address the most essential property deficiencies, it will replace redundant unsuitable accom- modation and will ensure the college is able to meet its strategic objectives for the foreseeable future.”

Deputy head Beverley Tyley said the budget for building work stood at £2.5 million, with more to be spent on furniture, fixtures and fittings. She added: “We are committed to providing a high quality facility and student social space is a very important part of our plans.

“With the age group we deal with, they do need their own space so social space is very important to them.

“The site as it stands has become very congested because of our growth in student numbers so the plans are very important to us.”

The application will be heard by Telford & Wrekin Council’s plans board later this year.

New College, Wellington, as it is now

1
Edd Preece

May 20, 2010 at 10:16

I am currently a student at New College so have a first hand perspective of the building plans. They are all well and good but in order to add new buildings the existing sports facilities are to be knocked down and reduced to about quarter of their current size. New College will have a gym just about the size of one badminton court (how does that provide sports facilities for the increased number of students?) and a dance area half its current size. Although there is currently a large take up of extra curricular sports at New College, there will be less facilities with even more students. New College already has no grass pitches for sport and the hockey pitch red gras area has been used as a staff car park for the past few years. In an era when the government has invested in trying to get young people into sport, this appears to have been sadly neglected in the plans made by New College. Currently there are PE and BTEC sport courses offered (about 100 students) and over 100 students take part in sporting enrichment activities. What will happen to these activities with the much reduced facilities?

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