Leeds College of Building sees work begin on new £13m South Bank campus

Work is now underway on Leeds College of Building’s brand new campus in the South Bank area of Leeds.

This announcement follows on from the college appointing Clugston Construction as the main contractor on the £13m development.

Representatives from Leeds College of Building, Clugston Construction, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and architecture practice Fuse Studios were all on site to see work commence earlier this week.

The project, which is expected to be completed towards the end of next year, will create a 5,200 sq m, four storey building with a range of classrooms, workshops and a central atrium.

This new campus will sit alongside the college’s existing South Bank campus, between Cudbear Street and Black Bull Street.

A large proportion of Leeds College of Building’s 7,000 students will then attend the two South Bank sites, with the remainder using the College’s North Street campus.

Phase two of the Hunslet campus is being supported by an £11.9m grant through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal. As part of this funding, £1m will also be spent refurbishing the North Street campus.

Ian Billyard, principal at Leeds College of Building, said: “We’re delighted to start work on this impressive project, within weeks of securing planning permission for it.

“Clugston Construction has a strong presence in Leeds and a successful track-record working on a wide range of high-profile education projects, throughout the North of England and beyond, which made the company the ideal partner for this contract.”

Steve Radcliffe, managing director of Clugston Construction, added: “This is a superb project for Clugston to be involved with and especially because it will play such an important role in contributing to the future talent of the construction sector, at a time when there are clear skills shortages in the industry.

“We already boast an enviable track-record throughout the education sector and this new campus is made even more prevalent by the fact that it will showcase our work to future construction workers for generations to come.”

Mike Harris from Fuse Studios, which also designed the College’s existing South Bank campus, commented: “It’s just over two years since phase one of the Hunslet campus opened and it has quickly become a prominent South Bank landmark.

“This new building will complement this, featuring materials and an architectural language, to echo the area’s industrial heritage, and it will be another highly sustainable building, with a BREEAM Excellent rating.”

Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority member, concluded: “The new Leeds College of Building development will form part of a thriving hub of high quality education, cultural and business facilities in the heart of the city’s South Bank.

“By supporting more students and apprentices to progress into the construction industry through this new campus, we are ensuring our city grows in the long-term and that young people are able to take up the opportunities offered by our continuing economic success.”