North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to demolish the main building at Harrogate College and build a hub to train students in green technology.

The £22m proposals will see new state-of-the-art facilities at the Hornbeam Park college including a mock hospital ward, digital technology suite, electric vehicle workshop and a construction centre focused on modern building methods.

The college said it hopes it will become a “centre of renewable and sustainable excellence”.

Harrogate College, part of the Luminate Education Group, caters to a range of full and part-time students, including offering apprenticeships as well as education for adults.

The plans were approved by a council officer last week and the project is expected to be completed by July 2025.

Planning documents state the main office block that was built in the 1980s has fallen into disrepair.

The replacement will be 2,000 square metres smaller than the former building which documents said will make education more efficient and streamlined for students.

The plans received 28 objections with some people unhappy with a reconfigured car park that will see the number of spaces reduced from 242 to 88.

However, the college said there is an over-provision of parking at the current car park of 48%.

Danny Wild, principal of Harrogate College, said the approval was “great news for the college, town and North Yorkshire.”

He said:

“This £22 million redevelopment will enable us to upgrade our campus to enhance our industry-standard training facilities, including an electric vehicle workshop, mock hospital ward, and a renewable energy technology hub.

“It will help us provide even more targeted support for local employers by tailoring our training to produce the skilled workers they need to plug gaps and prosper. The main building phase of our project is set to be completed for the 2025-26 academic year and we look forward to welcoming students, parents and guests into our new campus.”

Mr Wil added:

“To minimise any impact in the local area we are instructing staff not to drive to college but to switch to public transport instead, and we will be covering the parking costs of all colleagues who do so.

“We will also be employing staff to patrol the local area to ensure things go smoothly, and disruption is kept to a minimum, during the construction. We’ll be formalising those details, and other arrangements including those for our contractors, as part of the conditions attached to the planning permission.”

Read more:

• Best garden at Harrogate Flower Show revealed 
• Council has pumped almost 3,000 tonnes of grout into Ripon void 

The trustees of Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition have agreed to dissolve the organisation and continue its work through Zero Carbon Harrogate.

The coalition was set up by Harrogate Borough Council in 2019 to bring together businesses, local government and the voluntary sector and become an independent charity in 2021.

A statement today announcing the news said it would “help take the district closer to achieving a carbon net zero future”.

Several coalition trustees, including chair Danny Wild, the principal of Harrogate College, have become trustees of Zero Carbon Harrogate.

Jemima Parker, founder and chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, said:

“This is a really exciting development for both charities and for the future of Harrogate. By coming together we can make a bigger impact in everything we do and help take the district closer to a net zero future.

“The scientific evidence is clear; we must act now to prevent the worst effects of climate change.”

Mr Wild said the move would “create a stronger voice on climate change for Harrogate”, adding:

“All trustees believe that through collaboration we can achieve more thorough local activity and be a stronger voice in North Yorkshire.

“I’m looking forward to working with ZCH over the next 12 months, as we look deliver activities that lead to a more sustainable future.”

Coalition’s short existence

The coalition had a short but rocky existence.

Set up by Harrogate Borough Council, it was rocked by the resignation in 2021 of Pat Marsh, the leader of Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, who claimed the group had been ‘plagued by inaction’.

The organisation said its acquisition of charitable status later that year put it in a strong position to “accelerate action and increase its local impact”.

This was borne out when it organised Harrogate’s first climate action festival, which included a business conference at Harrogate Convention Centre.

The coalition had 12 trustees, including representatives of Harrogate Borough Council, which ceased to exist on April 1 this year.

Harrogate College has pledged to become net zero by 2035.

The college, which is based on Hornbeam Park, has made the commitment as part of Luminate Education Group’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

It aims to reduce its carbon footprint by building a new campus building in Harrogate, which will include energy-efficient, electric-based heating systems.

The college has also pledged to publish annual updates on its progress towards net zero.

Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, said:

“Climate change and ecological destruction are some of the biggest challenges of our time and education providers, like all institutions, have a responsibility to play their part by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

“The government’s target for the UK to reach net zero is 2050, but here at Harrogate College we’re aiming to do so much sooner.”

He added:

“Key to achieving this will be the £20m project we have lined up to replace our campus building at Harrogate. This will allow us to build a sustainable, purpose-built facility, focused on technical and vocational education, that will incorporate energy-efficient, electric-based heating systems.

“We are also recycling materials as much as possible across every single one of our courses, while looking into ways of generating our own energy and introducing a sustainable travel plan.”

Read more:

• Harrogate College to undergo £16m transformation
• Harrogate Spring Water ‘reviewing plans’ to expand bottling plant ahead of new application

The pledge comes as the college was awarded £16 million from the government to replace its main building on Hornbeam Park.

It means the Harrogate district will get a new a purpose-built space for technical and vocational education.

The new energy-efficient building will include a workshop providing facilities aligned to industry needs. It will complement the college’s existing tech centre, which is home to its motor vehicle, electrical, joinery and welding workshops.

An existing £4 million budget will be used to pay for the demolition of the old college building.

Harrogate College has backed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s bid to ensure all students study maths until the age of 18.

A government press release has said Mr Sunak will this afternoon “commit to starting the work of introducing maths to 18 in this Parliament and finishing it in the next”.

In his first speech of 2023, he is expected to say studying maths to 18 will equip young people with skills needed for jobs and increase their financial confidence later in life when dealing with issues such as mortgages and savings rates.

Mr Sunak will say:

“One of the biggest changes in mindset we need in education today is to reimagine our approach to numeracy.

“Right now, just half of all 16–19-year-olds study any maths at all. Yet in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, our children’s jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before.”

Read more:

• Harrogate councillor is Rishi Sunak’s agent in Richmond
• Man jailed for two-month fraud spree at Harrogate and York hotels

Harrogate College principal Danny Wild said Mr Sunak’s goal was admirable -— but needed to be supported by significant funding. Mr Wild said:

“Numeracy is increasingly important for all of us, and especially for young people entering a competitive and ever-evolving job market.

“So we do support the Prime Minister’s aim of ensuring that as many students as possible continue studying maths until the age of 18.

“Colleges and other further education providers will play a crucial role in delivering this goal – but it will only be achievable if we are given proper funding to recruit and retain the maths teachers we need.”

The college, a further education provider on Hornbeam Park, provides a wide range of courses including apprenticeships, T-levels and higher education for students in the Harrogate district.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Keane Duncan, the councillor responsible for major transport schemes such as the Harrogate Station Gateway and the Otley Road cycle route, is to meet business leaders in Harrogate on Monday.

Cllr Duncan succeeded Don Mackenzie as North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation this year.

He will talk about his vision for transport in and around Harrogate at Harrogate District Chamber of Trade‘s monthly meeting at the Cedar Court Hotel.

Doors open at 5.30pm for open networking with the main meeting commencing at 6.15pm.

The meeting will also hear presentations from three chamber businesses about carbon reduction.

Paul White, from Auditel, will talk about his firm’s journey to carbon neutrality.

Sarah Jones, from Full Circle Funerals, will explain how her business attained Corp B status – a certification which verifies a business is meeting high standards of social and environmental performance.

Danny Wild, Harrogate College principal and a member of Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, will speak about its work on retrofit to support businesses.

Chamber chief executive David Simister said:

“I’ll also be updating members on the letter I sent to the district’s MPs about the energy price crisis, as well as introducing our newest members and inviting members to share their latest news with us.

“And whilst this meeting is open to non-members attending for the first time, it is a first and foremost a business meeting and not a public meeting.”

You can register to attend here on the Chamber website here.

Read More:

• Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones joins Instagram
• Council explores move to protect Harrogate Convention Centre with limited company status

Harrogate training provider acquired

The team at FW Solutions

Harrogate-based training provider FW Solutions, has been acquired by Sheffield firm Realise.

FW Solutions, based in Windsor House, delivers apprenticeships and training to more than 100 early years settings across Yorkshire and North-East England.

It was formed in 2008 by husband-and-wife partnership Rodney and Sandra Hardy, who are now retiring.

The entire FW Solutions team, including all trainers, will move to become part of Realise, which will extend its provision by offering training in residential childcare.

Mr Hardy said:

“It is with a heavy heart that we are leaving FW Solutions but it’s the right time for Sandra and I to retire.

“We will miss all members of our highly qualified team, who have shown such loyal support and dedication over the last 14 years, as well as the expanding number of settings we have been fortunate to partner with.

“When we were initially approached by Realise regarding an acquisition, we knew this was an exciting opportunity to expand on the initial concept of FW Solutions yet retain the family-based environment which has been such a key part of the success.”

Realise, which became a standalone business two years ago when private equity investor Enact provided funding to support a management buyout, delivers apprenticeships at level two, three and five to hundreds of settings across the UK.

Harrogate College has been awarded £16m of government funding to replace its main building on Hornbeam Park.

The college, which serves the Harrogate district, is one of five education institutions in Yorkshire to receive funding from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund.

The £1.5 billion fund was set up last year to upgrade further education colleges over the next five years.

It means the Harrogate district will get a new a purpose-built space for technical and vocational education.

The new energy-efficient building will include a workshop providing facilities aligned to industry needs. It will complement the college’s existing tech centre, which is home to its motor vehicle, electrical, joinery and welding workshops.

An existing £4m budget will be used to pay for the demolition of the old college building.

A statement by the college today said the move will support priority growth sectors for Harrogate and North Yorkshire such as advanced manufacturing, low carbon construction, retrofit, sustainable energy and bioeconomy, health science and hospitality.

Danny Wild

Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, welcomed the funding and said it will go a long way in improving the college’s facilities.

“Being able to work towards having a net zero carbon building, alongside a learning environment that will help our students progress on to university or the workplace is central to our strategic priorities, and this funding will be central in supporting us to achieve this.

“The development will also help us deliver a wide range of T Level qualifications, which will not only close the skills gaps, but will reinforce the government’s nationwide plan to strengthen technical education and give it the credibility it deserves.

“This upgrade will strengthen the work we are doing with businesses in the district to deliver an employer-led curriculum, alongside supporting the council’s aims to prioritise and support ‘good growth’ in the district, and achieve a sustainable economy.”

As part of the project, there are also plans to install green electric based heating systems, as well as a soft landscaped social hub, which will improve biodiversity on site.

The government says the investment will ensure that colleges are “great places to learn and students have access to modern, fit-for-purpose facilities”.