Advanced Technology Centre and Construction Skills Centre, Blackpool & the Fylde College

What the project involves

Aegis has played key role in the delivery of Blackpool and the Fylde College’s £50 million, 10-year Property Strategy to replace existing accommodation with purpose-built teaching and learning facilities.

We were appointed to provide CDM services to the college as part of a root-and-branch redevelopment of its Bispham campus.

The campus now accommodates a new 3,200m2 Advanced Technology Centre (ATC), which will deliver the technical and leadership skills needed by students to close the skills gap in the advanced engineering and manufacturing sector.

The ATC features advanced engineering workshops equipped with the latest CNC technology, as well as a project zone that houses pneumatics, robotics, electronics and the latest CAD design studio. In addition there is a research and development centre, automotive workshops, and materials and paint applications workshop.

The Bispham campus project also includes a 1,100m2 two storey extension to the Construction Skills Centre (CSC) to incorporate additional workshops and classrooms.

How the client is benefiting

More than 20,000 people study at the college annually, with around 6,000 students and over 200 employers benefitting from the new ATC facility alone.

Our work involved assisting in the completion of three inter-related projects. Firstly, there was a ‘muck shift’ that involved moving earth around site to prepare for the ATC. Secondly, the old Heating and Ventilation building was demolished, allowing the construction of the CSC extension, which includes extra workshops and classrooms. Thirdly, the ATC was built, allowing the defunct Wyre building to be demolished.

The total cost for this programme was over £10m for both the ATC new build and CSC extension, which included the demolition of existing accommodation and landscaping improvements.

Aegis’ CDM solutions involved co-ordinating health and safety arrangements to ensure processes and procedures for all activity were effectively implemented.

We contributed extra value by working with the college to implement and manage CDM 2015 regulations which improve health and safety in the construction industry by clearly defining roles and responsibilities on construction projects.

Why it is crucial to understand the client and their needs

Aegis has provided value-adding CDM services for major development schemes since the initial introduction of the regulations almost a quarter of a century ago in 1994.

During this extensive period, we have worked on a number of significant education projects across the North West which had enabled us to develop in-depth knowledge and insight into the sector and its particular requirements.

As well as the ATC and CSC, we have worked on Blackpool and The Fylde College’s Lancashire Energy HQ, Preston’s College’s iSTEM Centre, Blackburn College’s RATH Building and leisure
centre, Myerscough College’s high performance centre and student accommodation block, and Bolton School’s sixth form centre.