A major Nottinghamshire college development catering for hundreds of new students is set to open within the year after the latest planning hurdle was cleared. West Nottinghamshire College first had plans approved in 2023 to build a new £8.8 million building at its Chesterfield Road campus, in Mansfield.
The frame of the new site is already in place after the previous art and design building was knocked down and the major project has now received a further boost. Mansfield District Council has approved the college’s plans to manage car parking at the new site, something which was previously of concern to the highways department.
The council now says it is satisfied with the latest plans, with car parking at the new facility set to be restricted solely to staff. The college said in its latest plans: “The new college building will be used by 16-18 year olds and parking will be restricted to staff.
Do you still use libraries? Let us know here
“Provision for students will be restricted to mobility-impaired individuals. All students on this site are aged 16-18 and are unable to drive in the first year of their course (55%).
“All students are expected to make their own way to site and surveys indicate that over 80% now use public transport to access these facilities”. The site is due to be completed in summer 2025 and it will accommodate around 300 students, delivering qualifications focused on science, technology, maths and engineering subjects.
Andrew Cropley, principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College, previously said: “We look forward to working with our partners from Nottingham Trent University and in local businesses to help young people, adult learners and employers develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to seize opportunities and grow our economy. This building will provide a great partner to our sixth-form college at the Chesterfield Road campus and make this site a focus for nurturing skills and expanding knowledge in the very heart of the East Midlands”.