Application submitted for East Coast College’s campus rebuild project

A planning application has been submitted for the multi-million-pound rebuild of East Coast College’s Great Yarmouth campus.

The college is one of 16 across England which is expected to benefit from the government’s £1.5bn FE Capital Transformation Fund to transform its campus in Suffolk Road to create a modern, state-of-the-art college.

The application has been submitted to Great Yarmouth Borough Council by contractors Kier Construction and the Department for Education to develop a new part two, part three storey building, including incorporation and extension of the college’s existing sports hall.

Members of the public were given the chance to view the exciting proposals and have their say at a community consultation held in the college’s sports hall on Wednesday, 1st November. At the event, residents, employers and community groups were invited in to see the plans and ask questions about the project.

Once approved, it is hoped construction work will begin in June 2024, ahead of the new campus being opened in time for the start of the September 2026 school term.

The new campus has been designed to be low carbon and will provide a host of new amenities for students and the wider community to enjoy, such as gym and sports facilities, a café and training restaurant, lecture hall, mock hospital ward and hair and beauty salon ran by the college’s students.

The first phase of the project will involve the construction of a temporary car park and site compound on land adjacent to the college, before minor demolition and remodelling work is carried out to form a new reception entrance. The second phase, due to commence in August 2024, will see the construction of the new college building and sports facilities, followed by the installation of the new car park and landscaping in phase three, before demolition of the former main college building.

Careful planning has been undertaken to ensure disruption to students, staff and people living in the surrounding area will be kept to an absolute minimum, with access to the site coordinated to limit the impact on neighbours and the wider community.

Urmila Rasan, Deputy CEO at East Coast College, said: “We are delighted the project has now moved into the planning phase with an application submitted to Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

“The project will provide the people of Great Yarmouth and beyond with a state-of-the-art new college providing an enhanced learning environment which is equipped with industry-standard facilities. It will be the perfect place in which to undergo further education, accommodating school leavers, apprentices, and adult learners.

“We will continue to work closely with staff, students and the local community over the duration of this project to keep them informed of our progress and ensure we are meeting the needs of the community we serve.”

The FE Capital Transformation Fund was first launched in September 2020 to rebuild and transform college estates and create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces that meet the needs of students and the local community.