The new Barnet and Southgate College Colindale Campus, a focal point in the re-generation of Grahame Park, has topped out.
Contractors Osborne have reached the highest point of the £14million, five storey campus building. It is located in Colindale, which is currently undergoing a major re-generation scheme, with the campus being a focal point of the re-generation.
David Byrne, Principal of Barnet and Southgate College said: “Today’s ceremony marks an important milestone to us opening the doors to our brand new Colindale campus in September 2016. We’re very proud of securing an investment that creates an outstanding College asset in the heart of this major regeneration development. This is great news not only for our students, but for the community as a whole. The move may only be a short distance from our old campus, but it’s a world away in terms of the facilities we have and the opportunities it offers for the future of our learners.”
Councillor Daniel Thomas, Chairman of Barnet Council’s Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee, said: “The new campus will form an important focal point in the new re-generation scheme on Grahame Park. I am delighted to see work really progressing on the campus which will offer fantastic training and employment opportunities to residents from all over the borough.
“The new Colindale Campus offers contemporary educational facilities within a new flexible purpose-built building that showcases education and gives the College a brand new identity in the local area.”
The new campus site is on Lanacre Avenue, close to Colindale Underground station. It forms part of a £550million plan to re-generate the wider Grahame Park area; including the construction of approximately 2,000 new homes. Construction began in February 2015 and the new campus will be ready for the start of the academic year in September 2016.
It will include the Construction Technology Centre for the campus’ brickwork, carpentry and joinery, plastering, wall and floor tiling and plumbing courses. The Centre will also offer access to cutting edge facilities in line with industry advancements and will support skills development and progression through to higher level qualifications. The new Skills Centre will also include ‘The Salon’, a training hair salon open to the public to feature the College’s hairdressing and barbering courses.
Additional community services at the new campus will include a new London Borough of Barnet Public Library.
