MAJOR plans for a new building at Bournemouth and Poole College have been approved.
The college applied for planning permission in February for a new building at its Lansdowne Campus, which has been granted by officers.
The proposals will demolish ‘temporary and poor condition’ buildings, replacing them with a ‘high-quality building and campus park’.
- Read more: New building to 'change education at college for decades to come’
The new building will house facilities including a gym, sports hall and a ‘fuselage room’, modelled on a plane interior for travel and tourism teaching.
The building will face onto Christchurch Road, with areas open to the public including a restaurant and a hair and beauty salon.
The college’s design and media department will be moved into the new building from the North Road campus.
The original application stated the health, child and social care department would be moved, too, but the college said this is not the case.
A new park will be created to be the ‘heart’ of the campus, with reports saying there will be a net gain of both habitat and hedgerow biodiversity.
The planning officer’s report found that the new buildings will be ‘fit for purpose in the modern era’.
- Read more: Major plans for Bournemouth and Poole College buildings
“The long-term retention of the college on this site is beneficial to the town and beneficial to the main Grade II Listed Building on the site and its long-term retention,” the report said.
Novian Architects sought to draw inspiration from buildings in the area, something which the planning report suggested had been achieved.
The officer found that the proposed development will ‘fit in with the character of the area in the town centre location’.
While there will be some impact on the listed buildings on the campus, the officer said the public benefits of the new buildings outweigh this.
The proposals were met with positive responses from residents at a public exhibition at the college in January.
At the exhibition, college principal Phil Sayles said the project is an ‘amazing opportunity’ for the college and the area.
It is hoped that the building would be ready for use in December 2025.
Funds for the project have come from the Department for Education’s Further Education Transformation Fund.
Robert Halfon, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, said: “We are transforming colleges like Bournemouth and Poole’s Lansdowne campus, creating world-class facilities to promote the skills of the future through our FE Capital Transformation Fund.”
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