The demolition of a former police station is set to begin next month to make way for the construction of the new Bridgend College campus in the town centre.
Plans for the £50 million new learning centre in Cheapside, Bridgend, were submitted to the council's planning committee in November of 2022, for a 131,000 sq ft campus, on the site of a former police station and multi-storey car park in the town.
Under the proposals, the new facility would accommodate more than 850 post-16 students, providing two connecting zero buildings with a 200-seat auditorium, coffee shop and flexible meeting spaces, relocating from its existing campus on Cowbridge Road. If given the go-ahead by council bosses, it is hoped the work on the campus could begin this year, and completed ahead of the 2025 academic year, bringing with it an economic boost through increased footfall to the town.
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Contractors at Cardiff Demolition are now set to begin demolition in the week beginning Monday 20 March, with the work expected to last for around 12 weeks. A council representative said: "Access to Cheapside and local businesses will be maintained during the demolition, although there will be some temporary narrowing of the carriageway and minor alterations to pedestrian crossing points.
"The contractor will be contacting local businesses before demolition starts to advise on the programme of works. The site, at Cheapside, forms a significant part of Bridgend County Borough Council’s regeneration plans for the town centre.
"Once the building is demolished, the site, together with the former Cheapside multi-storey car park site will be leased to Bridgend College, enabling the relocation of the Cowbridge Road campus to the new town centre location."
There will also be a public engagement event to highlight the plans for the new campus development on March 1, in a pop-up shop in The Rhiw Shopping Centre. Members of the senior leadership team will be in attendance alongside Rio Architects to outline plans for the new college, including its aims, design and objectives.
Sessions will be running throughout the day at 12.30pm, 2.30pm, and 4.30pm, with members of the public encouraged to attend. You can read more of our stories from Bridgend here or subscribe to our dedicated newsletter here.
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