Fareham: Fareham College awards contract to design and build £12m skills centre

Fareham College has awarded the contract to design and build its new £12 million engineering and advanced manufacturing skills centre to Leadbitter. The project is the first step in an ambitious £26m capital investment programme by the college, which received a further boost last week with news of a £4.7m award from the Skills Funding Agency. 

The CEMAST centre, on the Solent Enterprise Zone, will focus particularly on advanced marine and aerospace manufacturing sectors and represents a major investment in the future of engineering skills for the Fareham and Gosport peninsula.

Jacobs UK is the client project manager, cost consultant and CDMC for the CEMAST project, working with the client and contractor to ensure the contract is let within the agreed budget and on programme.

Perkins Ogden Architects rose to the challenge of the ambitious funding-driven planning programme, helping to secure planning for the £12 million centre just six months after its appointment. It has subsequently worked on the contractor's team to develop the design in close collaboration with the college.

Spokesperson Mervyn Perkins said: "Our aim is that CEMAST, the first new building on the recently-created Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus, will set a high design-quality benchmark and even a building typology upon this unique site for future neighbours to respond to."

College principal,Nigel Duncan, said: "The college is delighted to have reached this critical milestone. With works now started on site, we are confident we will open our doors to hundreds of learners at CEMAST in September 2014."

The CEMAST project is the first phase of a wider £26m programme to transform Fareham College into a centre of excellence for technical, vocational and applied studies.

College governors last week approved the award of a further £4.7m grant from the Skills Funding Agency which will fund 33% of a £14m redevelopment of the College's existing Bishopsfield site. The college will be publishing its plans for this site and launching consultation on proposals in mid September.

Peter Marsh, deputy principal, who has masterminded the overall strategy, said: "With CEMAST now underway we are determined to provide all learners at Fareham College with the very best industry standard learning environment. This new £4.7m SFA government grant gives us confidence to come forward with exciting plans to transform our existing site as phase two of a £26m capital investment in the future skills and career development for the residents of Fareham, Gosport and beyond."