Ambitious plans announced for new town centre college campus development
21/10/2022
Bridgend College has recently released information about its ambitious plans to build a new town centre campus in the heart of Bridgend. The plan includes the demolition of the existing and soon to be vacant police station site at Cheapside, along with the demolition of a former multi-storey car park which has been structurally condemned and is no longer operational.
The College ambition is to create a net-zero carbon building, with twenty-first century learning and teaching facilities for post-16 education in Bridgend, with community benefits including a 200-seat theatre space, a coffee shop and flexible meeting spaces.
These transformational plans represent a £50 million investment into the skills and training of the young people in Bridgend and those members of the community who need opportunities to retrain and gain valuable employability skills. The investment will also regenerate the town centre of Bridgend, enhancing the public realm and reducing our environmental impact, with plans to connect to the new Bridgend district heat system. This investment, part funded by the Welsh Governmentâs Sustainable Communities for Learning s programme, will play a key role in the regeneration of Bridgend Town Centre, supporting local businesses and utilising public transport links into the town.
Principal and Chief Executive of Bridgend College, Simon Pirotte OBE said:
âI am incredibly proud of the sustained journey of success the college has been on; these plans represent the strong intent we have, along with key partners, in delivering regeneration within Bridgend town centre. We are passionate and committed to the communities we serve and this project provides exciting opportunities for lifelong learning and education in Bridgend.
Our strategic plan outlines our ambition to achieve 21st century facilities for our students, staff and the communities we serve, along with a continued reduction in our carbon emissions; I am incredibly proud that these plans will deliver on both of these commitmentsâ
