Developer appointed for £49m revamp of Wigan College

Willmott Dixon has been tasked to deliver the new “net carbon zero in operation” (NCZiO) at Parson’s Walk.

The buildings, which used to be the Thomas Linacre School, were until last year home to the college’s performing arts school.

But last autum all of its students moved into a new base elsewhere on the campus complete with a 130-seat theatre, dance studios, a recording studio and media suites sporting the latest technology.

TLS demoltion work is under way and, over the next three years or so, new premises will be created for the various other schools in the college

A three-storey 10,811m sq state-of-the-art learning environment will emerge which will aim to achieve a 40 per cent biodiversity net gain with extensive soft landscaping, while sustainability features include solar panels to harness renewable energy.

When completed in 2027, students will learn in a modern college environment that includes seminar rooms, IT suites, laboratories as well as a new restaurant, florist and a salon to be operated by students.

All the work will be carried out without students and staff having to move to other sites.

College principal Anna Dawe said: “This is an exciting time for the college. The new campus is part of the college’s future commitment to skills delivery in Wigan borough and a major part of our net-zero strategy.

“We believe the campus redevelopment will inspire and equip our students for the seamless transition into the world of work and future skills needs.”