Welcome to Rotherham College of Arts & Technology

07 September 2010

The College takes a step closer towards its vision

The College is pleased to announce that it has received planning permission for its proposed new Town Centre Campus building.

At its meeting on Thursday, 8th January, RMBC’s Planning Board unanimously approved the detailed application for the new building that will replace existing buildings on Eastwood Lane. This follows the Board granting outline approval in July 2008 and now covers the exterior design of the building and the external spaces around the building. The College has been working on plans to create a new state of the art campus in the heart of Rotherham’s town centre and has consulted its students, staff, businesses and members of the public on its plans. The proposals seek to demolish some of the existing buildings that make up the campus and to replace them with a single building in a project that will take 4 years to complete (2009-2013). Now that the College has local authority planning permission, the next stage of the process is to obtain the final approval from the Learning and Skills Council for the £70million project. The College is also working very closely with its consultants and architects on the final details of the interior design. Quotes attributed to Chris Stanbra, Director of Corporate Services: “We are delighted that we have gained the approval of the Planning Board for our detailed planning permission application. This approval is the result of a tremendous amount of hard work by staff, managers and our consultants and we are pleased to take a step nearer to our vision. “Managers at the college and our design team have met with the local authority and we have been able to answer queries and questions to their satisfaction. “The proposed building is set to utilise the latest in design features and help us to own a building with many sustainable and energy saving features. For example, the plans include a heat recovery heating and ventilation system, thermal and photovoltaic energy capture equipment and we plan to collect and store rainwater for our own use. “Students will benefit from a bright, modern and stimulating environment which we hope will be an additional motivating factor for their success. The new building will provide first class teaching and learning facilities that will be amongst the very best in the learning and skills sector and this is a real benefit for Rotherham. “Our building will occupy a prominent position in the town centre and its eye-catching design and use of modern materials and construction techniques will make a very attractive campus. “Included in the plans are designs to create a public realm space that will integrate the campus with its surroundings. The provision of facilities such as our restaurant, hair and beauty salons and theatre have been included to provide public access to the campus and this provision. “We will now be able to submit our proposals to the Learning and Skills Council to seek their approval and we then hope to be in a position to build on the site. “The building programme is in two stages and we have prepared plans to decant our provision in the Eastwood Building into suitable alternative local accommodation. Our priority in this regard is to ensure that we continue to provide good quality facilities for all students and I am confident that our plans will ensure that this is the case. “There remains much work to do to achieve our vision but everyone at the College remains dedicated to our vision of providing the very best in learning facilities and a building to be proud of for the future”.

Town Centre Campus - Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, S65 1EG
Rother Valley Campus - Doe Quarry Lane, Dinnington, S25 2NF
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