Proposals for new Devon college animal care centre

Petroc College wants to create new animal care centre

A Devon college wants to demolish some of its run-down buildings and construct a new animal care centre at its main campus.

Animal care courses at Petroc College have recently been held in mobile classrooms and timber storage sheds, said agents for the applicants Woodward Smith Architects.

The build, at its Barnstaple campus, would be more comfortable for students and provide better space for the animals, the college said.

The project is part of a bid through the Department of Education which has provided Petroc with £1.146m of funding.

“Designing and constructing a purpose-built centre will allow improved flow for the students and ensure adequate space for the animals,” said Woodward Smith Architects.

“The current accommodation only allows the housing of a limited number of small mammals due to the configuration, which causes stress to these creatures," they added.

They stated that more students could also be taken on as a result of the new building.

The single-level building would be a storey-and-a-half high, and have blue cladding and grey windows to be in keeping with the rest of the buildings on campus, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Staff and students would work in the existing units until the new one was complete, the college said.

The old units would then be demolished and the area turned into green space they included, it added.

North Devon Council is due to consider the proposal at a later date.