Next phase of £24m Stockport College revamp approved 

Trafford College Group is forging ahead with the redevelopment of its Wellington Road campus. The next stage of the plan is to demolish the multi-purpose hall and theatre building to make way for a new 30,000 sq ft facility. 

The new-build structure would feature: 

• A main entrance with a triple height reception area, including customer services  
• A café and learning facilities located on the ground floor 
• A Learning Resource Centre and science department on the first floor 
• Hair and Beauty department, to be used by the college as well as being open to the public. 

To deliver this element of the wider £24m regeneration, the existing three-storey structure on the site needs to be knocked down. 

The 10,000 sq ft building, flanked by the Lyme Centre and the Bakewell Centre, houses the college’s performing arts department and has a theatre in the basement and is no longer fit for purpose, according to planning documents. 

Project3 is the architect for the scheme and WSP is the planner. Seddon is lined up as the main contractor, having handed over phase one of the project last month. 

The £7.1m first part of the redevelopment comprised the construction of a new arts building within the shell of the former arts department, together with the refurbishment of Vernon Tower to provide new teaching accommodation. 

Further up Wellington Road, planning approval has also been given for a £65m residential-led mixed-use development on land to the north of the college – the former Greek Street campus that the college sold to Investar Property Group. 

Investar’s scheme, known as Royal George Village, is to feature 442 apartments and around 23,000 sq ft of offices. Stockport Council granted approval for the project in March. 

Seddon is lined up as the main contractor. Credit: via planning documents