The Cheadle College has received approval from the Department of Education to redevelop its campus estate to the tune of £27m.
Cheadle, along with Marple Sixth Form College joined The Trafford College Group last year to sit alongside Stockport College and Trafford College, with the combined group now serving over 11,000 students across the two boroughs of Stockport and Trafford.
The investment at Cheadle will deliver a purpose-built facility replacing the existing estate, most of which dates to the 1950s. The redevelopment will enable the college to provide high-quality, enhanced facilities for the entire offer including A Levels, provision for students with high needs and technical education. The provision for adult learners will be significantly upgraded through the project, including new facilities for highly popular and successful Horticulture and Arts courses. There will also be new facilities to support the student experience including learning resource centre, student services and dedicated social spaces.
With government approval, the project is expected to complete at the end of 2024 and now moves to the appointment of a construction partner following the initial appointment of the IBI Group as architects and educational specialists, Abacus as the project management team. The proposed redevelopment follows similar levels of investment seen at Stockport College over the last few years where the final stage of its £23m redevelopment is due to conclude at the end of this year.
James Scott, Principal and CEO of The Trafford College Group, said: "Our ambition is to provide our students with an educational environment that can support and inspire them in their studies and to provide a platform for their success in the future. As a college group we are enormously proud to have the ability to invest college and government funds in two educational institutions in Stockport in such a short space of time."
Councillor Wendy Meikle, Stockport Council's Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education, said: "This is hugely exciting news for young people in Stockport so they can receive the absolute best college education in up-to-date facilities. We fully welcome this investment in a new college building, and it demonstrates how committed we are in Stockport to improve education and learning facilities for local people. This will help provide them with a first-rate educational experience that will enable people in the borough to realise their potential for generations to come."