Posted: 17/03/15
Chance to have say on new university centre plans
People can find out more about West Nottinghamshire College’s plans to create a flagship university centre at its Derby Road campus in Mansfield.
Visual impression of the proposed new Vision University Centre
The college is staging a consultation event to give residents a chance to have their say on its ambitious plans for a new and larger facility for the delivery of its already successful Higher Education provision.
A drop-in session will be held on Thursday 26 March from 6-8pm at Derby Road for people to see the plans for themselves and speak to those behind the project.
It comes after a planning application to build a three-storey extension to its existing university centre – which is limited in both size and scope – was submitted to Mansfield District Council.
The college wants to replace several temporary buildings connected to the centre – at the rear of the site, along Nottingham Road – with a state-of-the-art facility boasting inspirational teaching and learning space including classrooms, IT suites, study rooms, a learning resource centre, 100-seat lecture theatre and science laboratory.
Bosses say the centre is needed to improve access to Higher Education locally and address the low rates of young people from Mansfield and Ashfield that traditionally progress to university-level study.
The college currently has around 600 Higher Education students on courses ranging from HNDs and HNCs, to foundation degrees and full-honours degrees. The proposed £6.5 million new Vision University Centre would accommodate an additional 400 students including advanced apprentices and people studying part-time professional qualifications.
If the plans are approved, construction would start this summer, with the centre opening in September 2016. It would adopt the same contemporary appearance as the rest of the campus, which has undergone a multi-million transformation.
The planning application also includes the creation of a single court, multi-use outdoor games area at the rear of the campus, to provide improved facilities for students while also extending the college’s community sports provision.
Tom Stevens, executive director of capital projects and estates, said: “The college is really excited about the potential that the proposed new Vision University Centre has to increase higher-level skills within the local community, and we’re keen to share our plans with local people.”
