New £13m College Campus Is Taking Shape In Leeds

Leeds College of Building’s brand-new campus in the South Bank area of the city is starting to take shape with the building’s vast, 400-tonne steel frame now under construction. 

Clugston Construction, based in Leeds, is the main contractor on the £13 million development and the firm started work on the foundations and ground works in October.  The construction work is being project managed by Robert Hardy at CPC Project Services and will complete towards the end of this year.  The 5,200 square metre, four storey building, designed by architecture practice Fuse Studios, will offer a wide range of classrooms, workshops and an impressive central atrium. 

The structural frame has been designed by HBPW Consulting Engineers and will be erected by Finley Structures over a 10-week period.

The new campus, which will sit alongside the College’s existing South Bank campus between Cudbear Street and Black Bull Street, 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 be spent refurbishing Leeds College of Building’s North Street campus.  Once complete, a large proportion of Leeds College of Building’s 7,500 students will then attend the two South Bank sites, with the remainder using the College’s North Street campus.

Ian Billyard, Principal at Leeds College of Building, says:

“To see the building’s steel frame taking shape is very exciting and it immediately puts the size and scale of the new development into perspective.  Once complete later this year, it will be a fantastic addition to the skyline in this fast-evolving part of Leeds city centre. It will also complement our existing South Bank campus, which opened just over two years ago. 

“As the UK’s only specialist further education construction college, having three state of the art campuses will enable us to continue building on our reputation for offering high standards of training, in superb, modern surroundings, as well as strengthening our position at the forefront of modern construction training as a whole.  Plus, this new campus is already paying dividends, with Clugston Construction providing a number of our students with valuable work experience and site visits during the construction programme.”

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said:

“LEP investment into Leeds College of Building is laying the foundations for future economic growth across the City Region. The LEP is working hard with our partners to build a future where young people can access the opportunities they need for a successful career while at the same time increasing the numbers of trained workers in our key growth sectors, such as construction. This is an exciting time for Leeds College of Building and the South Bank Leeds area as a whole and I look forward to seeing the impact this new building will have when it opens for business later this year.”

Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority member, said:

“Boosting the numbers of students and apprentices trained in construction is essential for the future growth of the Leeds economy and these new facilities taking shape at Leeds College of Building will be a key part of this work. This new site is ideally placed as a key hub for growing skills and opportunities as we build a workforce ready for the advent of HS2 and our developing vision for South Bank Leeds.

“South Bank Leeds is fast becoming a thriving hub of high quality education, culture and business and I look forward to welcoming the first students to the college later this year as we continue to forge a city and an economy that offers opportunities for everyone.”

Leeds College of Building currently offers a comprehensive range of more than 200 courses related to construction and the built environment, including apprenticeships, further and higher education, and business training.