College needs new classrooms to meet demand

Daniel HodgsonLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageLDRS A general view of Middlesbrough College taken across the dock, with the water in the foreground. The large building is clad with grey, blue and orange material creating an irregular pattern.LDRS
Middlesbrough College said it had a rise in applications for its construction courses

Plans have been put forward to expand a college campus due to an increase in student numbers.

Middlesbrough College wants to build seven temporary classrooms and workshops to help meet demand for its construction courses.

Planning documents submitted to Middlesbrough Development Corporation said the college would continue to look for funding for "permanent accommodation", but they needed extra space in the meantime.

Each classroom would have a capacity of 18 students and the workshops would cater for the rise in applications for wet trades courses, for skills such as plastering, tiling and bricklaying.

Planning documents said: "Following the completion of the Construction Centre in April 2023, there was significant growth in the applications for wet trades based courses driven by local and national initiatives to continue to respond to skills shortages."

They added the college needed to quickly provide extra covered space to additional pupils, with two portable buildings erected on site.

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