Gloucestershire College construction training centre given go-ahead

The new centre will include extra cycle parking, classrooms and training workshops

Plans to build a new construction training centre to address a skills shortage have been approved.

The centre will be built in place of Gloucestershire College's current multi-use games area on Princess Elizabeth Way at its Cheltenham campus.

Developers Roberts Limbrick Ltd said the low carbon building will include cycle parking and classrooms.

Cheltenham Borough Council planning officers said they were satisfied with the application.

According to the planning papers, the college hopes to attract more teenagers into its training programmes to then go on to work on construction projects around the county.

The proposed site would be next to the current hair and beauty school, at the rear of the campus.

Roberts Limbrick Ltd said the building will be made in line with the college's zero carbon ambitions

The college is already one of the largest providers of construction training in the county with 1,000 trainees and official links to 1,400 construction industry companies.

Roberts Limbrick Ltd said no increase in student numbers is expected as a result of the development, but "simply a change in the curriculum" offered at the Cheltenham campus.

Cheltenham Borough Council planning officers said: "The current proposal has developed to a stage where the scale of the building at 2 storeys will adequately accommodate the projected student numbers.

"It has a clear vision for a building which is connected to and reflects the college's aspirations for a zero-carbon college."