University creative hub set for approval

Plans for a six-storey specialist creative industry education and training hub in Nottingham, which will provide graduate courses in music, gaming, film and graphic design, look set to be approved.The proposal for the site located on 50 Shakespeare Street outlines the demolition of the former Racial Equality Centre and Frank Webb buildings, off Lower Parliament Street and Convent Street, to make way for a higher and further education facility for the Confetti Institute of Creative Technology.Nottingham Trent University’s application has been recommended for approval ahead of a city council planning meeting on 21 December 2016. The report said the existing building is a relatively “poor quality, small scale building” that is of no particular merit to the street scene of the area of the Eastside Regeneration Zone.The new building aims to provide a range of teaching spaces, a café, learning resource centre as well as student support spaces. It has been designed to enhance the student experience and offer teaching accommodation for an additional 700 students over the next five years.Nottingham Trent University acquired Confetti Media Group last year and the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies is a learning institute which focusses on providing industry vocational and degree training in music technology, gaming, ?lm and TV, radio and live events production.The report also stated the redevelopment is considered as a “significant opportunity” to replace the property with a new, purpose-designed building that will have greater presence and quality in the street scene as well as providing the needed accommodation for the improvement of existing student facilities, as well as the envisaged expansion in student numbers.