WIGAN & Leigh College could be getting a huge overhaul after plans for a rebuild of their Parson’s Walk campus have been tabled.

The redevelopment project seeks to demolish the Wigan School for the Arts building and the main college building and replace it with a state-of-the-art learning environment for students. Small scale aesthetic works are also planned for the UCLAN building.

The works would only relate to the campus based in Wigan town centre and not the college site in Leigh. The proposals include the reduction of parking spaces at the site by 94 and the delivery of a biodiversity net gain.

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The college was one of 16 educational institutions to benefit from the third phase of the £1.5bn FE Capital Transformation Fund back in April 2021. The idea behind the funding is to enable colleges to do remedial work to refurbish their buildings.

At the time- of the announcement, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Gillian Keegan said: “It is fantastic news that we are launching the next phase of this transformation programme, working with a small number of colleges that are some of the most in need of support to upgrade and revitalise their estates.

“As we recover from the pandemic, it is vital our colleges continue to be great places to learn with excellent facilities. Our priority is making sure every student receives high quality education and training, no matter where they live, so they can gain the skills they need to progress into work and help the economy to rebuild and grow.”

Wigan and Leigh College have been providing education and training for the people of Wigan and beyond since 1857 and welcomes around 14,000 students each year.