£3.5m college workshop expansion approved

Plans are for a two-storey motor vehicle facility at the rear of one of Derby College's its main buildings

Plans to extend a city college in order to create a workshop for engineering students have been approved.

Derby College submitted £3.5m proposals to expand the rear of its Stephenson building at the Roundhouse campus at Pride Park earlier this year.

It said the two-storey motor vehicle facility, due to open in September, would become a "critical part" of supporting students in higher-level technical development.

Derby City Council planning officers said the plans were of "high quality".

According to planning documents, the new centre will "enable the provision of specialist motor vehicle workshops and teaching spaces supporting a wide range of engineering disciplines with an emphasis on sustainable engineering practices and digital design principles", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The college said the new learning space would reduce its liability on tenanted properties and would provide skills for a "wide range of engineering disciplines".

It added the facility, opposite Derby railway station, "will be built in the most efficient and sustainable way in order to achieve net-zero carbon emissions".

Derby City Council said: "The design of the extension is considered to be of a high quality in both design and elevational treatment and for provision of low carbon technologies."

The authority added there would be "minimal harm" to the existing grade II and II* listed former railway buildings at the college site.

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