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Feb

Last Updated: 26/02/2024

£20m rebuild of Harrogate College underway

by Lauren Ryan

| 26 Feb, 2024

An artist’s impression of how the new main campus building at Harrogate College will look

A £20m scheme to rebuild Harrogate College has begun.

The college on Hornbeam Park in Harrogate is replacing its main building and constructing a renewable energy skills hub to ‘future-proof’ the site.

Preliminary work began in February while the full construction phase, in what is currently the campus’s car park, will start in March.

The upgrade will create modern facilities such as a mock hospital ward, digital technology suite, electric vehicle workshop and a construction centre focused on modern building methods.

A total of £16m of the funding has come from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund.

The college aims to move into the new main campus building in July 2025, after which the current property will be demolished.

Principal Danny Wild said:

“We are really excited to see work on our new campus getting underway. The resulting, purpose-built facilities will allow us to keep producing the highly skilled individuals that our region’s businesses need, now and for decades to come.

"It will also allow us, while building on our close collaboration with local employers, to consolidate our position as the leading local provider of T Levels - the new, work-focused alternative to A levels that are becoming increasingly popular.

"We look forward to showing off the results, which will usher in an exciting new chapter for Harrogate College, its students and the people of North Yorkshire, in the summer of 2025.”

The college has pledged to become net-zero by 2035 and will focus on teaching sustainable technology skills. It has teamed up with local businesses including Energy Oasis, which recently trained tutors on how to fit and wire up PV solar panels, so they can in turn teach the students.

Energy Oasis founder Mike Kaye said:

“We are really proud that the college is looking to become a centre of renewable and sustainable excellence.

"This is one of the fastest growing areas in the economy and the more people, whether they are just starting off or looking for a career change, who can be trained up in these skills and deployed into the workforce, the better. By offering comprehensive energy and sustainability courses, Harrogate College is arming students with the necessary skills to lead the way towards a greener future."

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones said:

“As well as enhancing the facilities available to Harrogate College students, this £20 million new campus will bring many broader benefits to Harrogate, Knaresborough and the wider area.

"With many of the courses set to be on offer at the new campus geared toward sectors where there are currently local skills shortages, the development will provide a real boost to local economies, providing valuable opportunities for our young people and adults.”

The college will run as normal throughout the building phase and students will continue to have full access to all of the existing facilities.

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£20m rebuild of Harrogate College underway

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