Bardsley hands over new Blackburn College building

Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw will open the town's new £14m University Centre at Blackburn College tomorrow.

Ian Clinton, Principal at Blackburn College says the University Centre will have a significant impact on the town and the surrounding region. "We have a 50-year heritage at Blackburn College in providing University level education to generations of people across the North West and further afield. Pursuing higher education is extremely important, especially in a borough like Blackburn with Darwen, where levels of deprivation are high. A new University Centre in the area will not only provide a high quality of education, it will boost the standard of living considerably. The introduction of new courses and established links to major local employers means students will have exposure to some fantastic opportunities."

The University Centre was built by North West contractors Bardsley Construction and covers a one-acre site just off Barbara Castle Way.

The eco-friendly building has facilities for rainwater harvesting and solar heating as well as a host of landscaped areas.