Approval Granted for College Group Plan for £23M Skills and Innovation Hub

Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) has received full planning approval from Stafford Borough Council for its brand new £23M Skills and Innovation Hub.

The news comes following the successful application by the Group to Stafford Borough Council for permission to demolish mothballed buildings on the Earl Street and Broad Street corner of the existing campus, to make way for the new scheme which has a targeted completion date of 2022.

The ambitious plans will see the building of a 7,500 sq foot, 3 storey Skills and Innovation Hub equipped with leading edge equipment and state-of-the-art skills, construction, engineering and motor vehicle facilities, along with a 4 court sports hall, gym and 300-seat auditorium.

Craig Hodgson, Vice Principal: Finance & Corporate Developments at NSCG, said: “We are delighted to have been given the green light by Stafford Borough Council and plan to commence work early next year to be open in time for the 2022/3 academic year. It’s fantastic news for the town as a whole and will bring positive benefits to the local economy and the future students and families who will become part of our college community.

Craig continued: “The feedback from our stakeholders has been extremely positive throughout the whole process and we will continue our dialogue with staff, students and external stakeholders as the project progresses.”

In addition to College funds, NSCG is working with the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and other partners to secure a funding package which will enable a prompt start to the development.

Preston Brooks-based architects, Ellis Williams, are managing the design of the scheme, having worked on previous projects for NSCG.