College in £40m plan ‘to show off Bootle’

Apr 28 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

THESE are the first images of an iconic £40m college being planned for Bootle.

Hugh Baird College has released the pictures of how their new college will look if it gets the go-ahead and is built by 2011.

Based on the corner of Balliol and Stanley Road, the sweeping glass faced building will nestle on derelict land on the edge of South Park.

The designers are hoping the iconic eco-friendly 2,000 square-metre building will “announce Bootle to the world”.

The derelict council-owned site, where Connolly Nursing Home used to stand, is opposite the college’s existing seven-storey Balliol Centre.

This building will eventually be demolished, once the new build is complete, with the land sold off for commercial use.

Pat Farrell, director of estates and resources at the college, said: “We want everyone to see these images, to come and hear our ideas and let us know what they think of the plans.

“This is a very exciting time for the college and this new building will make us a centre for the future, helping provide the best facilities for our students.

“But it is much more than that, this is about designing a structure for Bootle which will be a gateway to the town and the park.

“At the moment there is only a small entrance to the park and it’s one of the most underused green spaces in Sefton.

“We hope this will make our college more transparent to the public and will encourage people to walk into the park.”

The site will incorporate the existing patch of land with small trees known as the Centenary Gardens, but its position will be switched around and slightly raised at one end.

It will also border the Memorial Garden, on Stanley Road, which will be unaffected by the development.

The images come two years after the college first started looking for possible sites, eight of which were in a three-quarter mile radius of the existing campus.

But when Connolly House finally closed its doors, the neighbouring site seemed the obvious choice.

The build will take two years to complete and will be jointly funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the college.

Dr Jette Burford, principal of the college, said: “We’re delighted by the prospect of such a massive investment in a modern, purpose built learning and training environment for the benefit of the local people and employers in Sefton and Merseyside. We were ranked the best further education college on Merseyside by the Government’s recent league tables, and the new building will build on our success.

“And it will support our delivery of excellent education and training and contribute significantly to the regeneration of Bootle, including potential improvements to South Park.

“The building will be iconic, while designed to complement and enhance the surrounding area.”

The college has already received positive support from MPs Joe Benton, Claire Curtis-Thomas, George Howarth and Peter Kilfoyle, whose constituents attend the college.

Steve Dickinson, CEO of Sefton Chamber of Commerce, said: “The continued expansion of the college underpins the tremendous investment in Bootle that will transform the facilities and appeal of the town centre to new and emerging companies.

“The planning has been very impressive, and the college is an active and important member in the new Bootle Town Centre Management programme led by Sefton Chamber.”

* The college is urging the public to get involved and hosts consultation days from 3-7pm this Thursday; 1-7pm Friday; and 10am-2pm Saturday.   

laurasharpe@dailypost.co.uk