Plans to build a new £40m campus on the Cornwall College Camborne site will be showcased at a public consultation exhibition on the 18th December.
The exhibition of project proposals will display illustrated plans for a new three storey Cornwall College Camborne which has been designed by St Ives-based Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole Architects on behalf of the Cornwall College Group.
After the consultation, a planning application will be submitted for the proposed building which incorporates a glass atrium and a ‘high street’. The new college will accommodate over 2000 staff and students and will house specialist facilities for; Catering and Hospitality, Arts and Media, Hairdressing and Beauty; together with classrooms, laboratories, workshops and student support facilities.
Don McKenzie, head of faculty for retail and service Industries said: “This has been a fabulous project, lots of us have been involved in the design and to be able to help create a purpose-built learning space has been an incredible opportunity. The students and staff can look forward to state-of-the-art facilities both in the practical and classroom areas, incorporating the latest technology and equipment, up to industrial standard.
“This will help to change the face of Cornwall College Camborne; it’s a visionary solution which will serve us well into the future.”
The College is keen to make the student’s learning experience as ‘real’ as possible. The new public facing facilities such as the proposed restaurant, hairdressing and beauty salons, retail shops and the onsite travel agent will be sited in a high street style setting with the classrooms and workshops behind the scenes.
Both staff and students have had a hand in the design of the new college building, John Clayton, president of the college’s student union said, “This is a great proposal for the whole area, the Camborne campus draws students from across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and this new building will make the journey even more worthwhile.
“The lecturers and students are what make this college a great place to be, but the campus is suffering from some aging buildings and although the resources at Camborne are very good, to cope with student demand the campus has had to expand in a higgledy piggledy fashion. This new proposal, which students have had a say in, will be sustainable and will bring students from the individual academic and vocational areas together in one fabulous building.”
Hairdressing student Holly Brittain from Helston agrees, she says, “The will be a great way to get all the FE students working and socialising together. The campus has become a bit tatty due to general wear and tear and even though I love being a student here i think this new building will bring more students into the college, it’s already a great place to be, but it would be much nicer if it had a modern feel to it.”
The new college is planned to be built on ground adjacent to the recently constructed learning centre, bringing both further and higher education buildings closer together. The new campus will be built and occupied before any of the current buildings are demolished keeping disruption to a minimum.
The plans detail a new main access to the college, instead of approaching the college from Trevenson road, the new main entrance will be via Tolvaddon road, just off the A30.
CPR Regeneration, the urban regeneration company for Camborne, Pool and Redruth, contributed their ideas to the plans, including the accessibility of the new site. Bill Radmore, Director of Investment, said: "These exciting proposals will transform the college campus and create new opportunities for local people to learn new skills, secure quality jobs and contribute to the comprehensive regeneration of Camborne, Pool and Redruth. They complement other plans along Trevenson Road, including the Pool Innovation Centre and new office space at East Hill, and we have worked closely with Cornwall College to ensure that their proposals fit in with this other activity. That includes a new entrance to the campus off Tolvaddon Road where the East Hill junction is being improved. This will improve the flow of traffic and give the college a real shop window at a gateway entrance to Pool. We wish the College every success with their bid to the Learning and Skills Council to secure funding."
The new buildings, improved access and better internal layout will also make the site more accessible for those with mobility problems.
The plans have been drawn up in an attempt to support the regeneration of the area, with sustainability being a key factor in the new campus design. Architect Iain Stewart, from Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole, said: "Essentially, our aim is to positively enhance the College so it supports the wider regeneration of the area. We want to provide a continuity of experience for the local community, making Pool a more attractive place to live, work and visit."
"When we select the materials for the new buildings we'll be following the ‘Green Guide to Specification’ which sets out the best choices for the environment. The main considerations will be the robustness and longevity of the resources available. We've also been looking at a range of innovative ways of providing renewable energy on the campus, including biomass and ground source heating, although this needs more investigation before we can make a decision."
The new facilities are designed to ensure Cornwall College continues to provide the first class education and training for which it has a long history, last month the College celebrated its 80th birthday and it is hoped that students will be using the new college from summer 2011.
Raoul Humphreys, Head of Cornwall College Camborne said: "A brand new purpose-built college is an exciting prospect for the area. The building has been designed to put learning and students first, it’s an ambitious project incorporating a large central atrium, an impressive three storey space providing easy links from floor to floor as well as open exhibition areas and meeting places for students and staff."
“It will be a college which looks great and has fantastic facilities for both students and staff to be proud of and it will further promote Cornwall College as an excellent provider of quality education and training in the county where the needs of our learners are always top of the list.”
The exhibition of project proposals is open to everyone and will be held on the bottom floor of the Trelawny building on the 18th December from 2:00pm to 7:30pm.www.thisiscornwall.co.uk will also be displaying the drawings.
For more information please call 01726 226667.
