Historic College building to be restored thanks to £2.6 million funding
Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) has been awarded £2.6 million in funding from the Department for Education (DfE) to support renovations at the Stafford College campus.
The investment forms part of a wider £302 million allocation through the Further Education College Condition Allocation (FECCA), which is being distributed across 179 college groups in England.
Colleges have the discretion to determine how best to use their funding, enabling them to drive economic growth and meet the specific needs of their local communities.
NSCG’s funding will be used to renovate the Grade II listed Tenterbanks building, a key feature of the Stafford campus. Built in 1937, the three storey, red brick structure holds historical and cultural significance in the local area and the planned refurbishment will be completed sensitively to ensure original features are retained, whilst updating and modernising teaching spaces for learners and staff.
Craig Hodgson, Principal and Chief Executive of NSCG, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded grant funding from the Department of Education to further enhance our college estate for the benefit of our learners. The funding will be used for improvements to our beautiful Grade II listed building, Tenterbanks, allowing us to enhance and modernise the building sympathetically, creating a dynamic learning environment that is fit for the future.”
The funding was first announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves as part of the Autumn budget in October 2024, making it the first funding package for further education (FE) colleges in two years.
Funding allocations were based on a range of criteria, including learning hours from the previous academic year, space requirements for each subject, residential space and local construction costs.
Leigh Ingham, MP for Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages, said: “This outstanding College is so crucial to the talent pipeline locally, and I'm proud that the Government is consistently putting skills at the front of its agenda.”
Skills Minister, Jacqui Smith, said: “FE colleges are vital to our mission to grow the economy under our Plan for Change. They are at the heart of training the next generation of skilled workers. But the FE college estate we inherited is in need of repairs to extend the life of college buildings. This funding addresses these issues, allowing colleges to focus on what they do best: breaking down barriers to opportunity by teaching the next generation in buildings fit for purpose.”
Plans are currently being developed and works on the Tenterbanks building are expected to be phased over the next two years to minimise disruption to teaching and learning.
