NUNEATON TOWN CENTRE CONSULTATION ON ADDITIONAL COLLEGE CAMPUS

Caption: Nuneaton town centre redevelopment digital rendering of college campus

Public consultation on the future of Nuneaton’s town centre, due to get underway on Tuesday 4 January 2022, includes plans for an additional campus for North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) on Abbey Street. The new facility, due to be built with investment from the government’s Towns Fund, will enable the college to deliver a Digital Skills and Innovation Centre and training restaurant in the former Co-op building.  

The consultation process is being led by Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council and members of the local community are being invited to provide their feedback over a two-week period ending on 18 January 2022. Details of the plans, and how to comment, can be found on the project website www.transformingnuneaton.co.uk. Proposals, which are subject to approval by the college board, will be presented as part of a live webinar which will be hosted by the project team at 6pm on Thursday 6 January 2022. Once the feedback from the consultation process has been reviewed, the college will work with its partners to submit a full application for planning permission. 

It is anticipated that the new state of the art centre will help to regenerate skills and career opportunities in the town, enable access to digital skills training, provide an incubation space for business start-ups, and support the hospitality sector through a training restaurant that will be open to the public. The facility is expected to serve over 2,600 students over the next ten years, supporting 290 business start-ups and delivering value to the economy worth £13.4M.  

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of NWSLC said, “We’re delighted to be working with Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council on this project that will contribute to the regeneration of the town and boost opportunities for people to gain new skills that pave the way for exciting careers.  

“We know that the UK is facing digital skills shortages and that careers in big data, AI, and superfast computing are set to grow on the back of swift developments in 5G connectivity. The Digital Skills and Innovation Centre is being designed specifically to address skills development in this area, as well as providing space for entrepreneurs to thrive and grow. In addition, by re-locating our training restaurant to the town centre, we will provide a boost for vocational skills that will help the sector’s recovery in Nuneaton.  

“We are committed to addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our local community which has disproportionately affected young people in Nuneaton and look forward to building on our plans to deliver work-based training and apprenticeships in the heart of the town centre, increasing footfall, reducing unemployment, and supporting the development of thriving new enterprises.” 

Cllr Kristofer Wilson, Leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said, “The borough council and the college have worked hard to bring forward these exciting proposals. We made a promise that our Towns Fund plans would bring new life to Nuneaton town centre and would ensure new partners supported the effort to bring people back to the heart of the town. Our plan will give local students the opportunity to learn in a real-world environment and better enable them to enter the workforce. This consultation will ensure that local people have an opportunity not just to find out more, but to offer their views.”  

ENDS