RNN Group has announced the appointment of Willmott Dixon as its chosen contractor for its brand new £12m campus, University Centre Rotherham (UCR).
The new centre on Doncaster Gate is expected to bring a wealth of education and training opportunities to the region, building upon their existing range of degrees, higher-level courses and professional training, and will offer a dedicated facility for university students with specialist teaching, study and exhibition spaces, a library, café and social areas.
The Sheffield City Region (SCR) Combined Authority has agreed to fund infrastructure works. A grant of £3.5m has been approved with the balance coming from RNN Group.
John Connolly, chief executive of the RNN Group, which is the parent organisation for Rotherham College and the University Centre Rotherham, said: "We are delighted to have taken a big step forward in delivering this fantastic project, which will offer so much to our region's students and employers. It will be a major boost for us in addressing the skills gaps that employers are expecting to see in the near future, as the economy continues to grow.
"As part of the Rotherham Plan 2025, the University Centre Rotherham will be an important factor in helping to bring additional investment and employment to the area, and will contribute to the regeneration of the town centre. We will continue to work with our university partners and key employers to extend the range of degrees and professional courses we can offer, to ensure our students have the right skills and qualifications to be part of that brighter future for the region.
"We are also pleased to be working with Willmott Dixon, as a contractor and employer with a clear commitment to sustainability and community engagement.
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Building work is set to begin over the summer and with completion in autumn 2018. The RNN Group has confirmed that it has completed a purchase from Rotherham Council for the land on the site where the former Victorian hospital at Doncaster Gate was controversially demolished.
The 35,500 sq ft campus building, designed by Bond Bryan, is close to the main Rotherham College campus. It can accommodate approximately 560 people on a typical term day but will be built with expansion in mind and teaching space for approximately 1,000 students.
Andrew Hurcomb, director for Willmott Dixon in Yorkshire, said: "As a local company based in Yorkshire with a strong track record of work in Rotherham, which includes the role of our sister company Fortem maintaining homes in the town, we are proud to have been appointed by the RNN Group to take forward its plans to create University Centre Rotherham. It will provide important skills that will benefit the local economy for years to come and we'll also build strong links with the university centre to encourage many of its students to choose a career in construction.
"Also, during the project, we will work closely with local companies in and around Rotherham to ensure as many as possible are involved with the building work."
Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, added: "Having our own University Centre in Rotherham is a fantastic opportunity for local people to study at degree level. This is one of our "game changers" in the Rotherham Plan; to help local people gain higher level skills which will increase their employability. It will also help local employers to find the skilled staff they need."
With headquarters in Letchworth Garden City, Willmott Dixon recently reported that pre-tax profits had more than doubled to £28m in 2016 from a turnover of £1.2bn. Sister business, Fortem has a base at Templeborough in Rotherham where it provides maintenance services for council houses in the borough.
2 comments:
Be hopes they make a better job than the Rotherham Leisure centre they built,which should be about 5 times bigger for town of Rotherhams size.
100% agree with above comment , what a dissapointment the leisure centre was !
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