Willmott Dixon to deliver Cheadle College redevelopment

Willmott Dixon has been chosen via the Procure Partnerships Framework for a £27m campus redevelopment at Cheadle College.

The news, which follows the company’s recent appointment on the £60m Bridgend College Town Centre redevelopment, will see it build a state-of-the-art new campus that will allow the college to deliver a diverse range of courses, including A Levels, Sport, Health, Early Years, Choices and Progression Curriculum and Horticulture when the new facility opens in autumn 2025.

The scheme will also support the college’s new industry-focused T Level programmes in health, and childcare and education. James Scott, Principal and CEO of The Trafford and Stockport College Group, of which Cheadle College is a part of, said: “Our ambition is to provide our students with an educational environment that can support and inspire them in their studies and to provide a platform for their success in the future. As a college group we are enormously proud to have the ability to invest college and government funds in two educational institutions in Stockport in such a short space of time.” 

Key features of the project include a new learning resource centre, comprehensive student services and dedicated social spaces. The campus will also feature specialist environments for the college’s Choices students, including a dedicated garden and sensory room.

In line with the college’s commitment to sustainability, the building’s design is inspired by nature and will incorporate numerous sustainable features, including PV panels, Air Source Heat Pumps, Solar efficient glazing and Energy efficient Lighting Controls.

Explaining about the need for a new campus, Mr Scott added: “The college’s existing buildings and teaching spaces are outdated and would have required significant modernisation and reconfiguration to meet current and future educational needs. Given the impracticality and inefficiency of upgrading this aging infrastructure, the redevelopment offers a unique opportunity to construct a new campus with high-quality facilities.

“These new facilities will cater to a vast range of needs and significantly enhance the educational environment for our students. We look forward to seeing the project progress over the coming months and to welcoming our students into this exciting new facility in Summer 2025.”

Mike Lane, director of operations for Willmott Dixon in the North, said:

“This is a project being built by local people for local people and £9m of our project spend will go on local businesses based within 20 miles of the college. We are passionate about creating employment opportunities and skills in this community and will deliver a Social Value Return on Investment of £7m. Within that, we will create 140 weeks of apprenticeships, 90 weeks of T-level placements, engage hundreds of local students and deliver our bespoke Building Lives Academy programmes, designed to upskill and inspire the college’s foundation learning students.

 “We’ve already engaged more than 350 of the college’s students and, we are proud to be supporting three T-level students working within our business they as explore careers in construction.”

Nathan Taylor, Project Manager, Procure Partnerships Framework, added: “It's fantastic to see the project coming to life, showcasing the brilliant work that Willmott Dixon are doing to provide what will be a vital facility for the local community.”

The Trafford and Stockport College Group received £20m of government funding for the project and is investing another £7m of its own equity.