Plans lodged for university technical college

Plans have been lodged for a new university technical college on the site of a former council office building in South Yorkshire.DLP Planning, on behalf of the Department for Education, has submitted a full planning application for development of a site north of College Road in Doncaster.Planning permission is sought for the construction of a new University Technical College (UTC) specialising in advanced engineering and digital design.The development would comprise a five-storey teaching block and three-and-a-half-storey sports hall, with dining below, and a four-storey lecture theatre with a roof terrace. A multi-use games area (MUGA) is also proposed in the western corner of the site.The UTC would be a state-funded 750 place school for students aged between 13 and 19. The first phase is expected to open in September 2020 with the second phase handed over in November 2020.A planning statement submitted as part of the application said the “material benefits of providing a valuable teaching learning environment will have a long term social and economic sustainable enhancement”.The land is part of the Doncaster Civic and Cultural Quarter Masterplan area and is located between Doncaster Police Station and the closed St James’ Pool building. A cinema and restaurant complex is currently under construction to the north.It was formerly the location of a 12-storey Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) office building, which was demolished in 2014.Doncaster Council’s cabinet has agreed to provide the site for the development in 2018.Willmott Dixon is the main contractor for the school building and FaulknerBrowns is the architect. The UTC will be part of the Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust (BFLPT) as well as part of the network of UTCs, the Baker Dearing Trust.