Plans for campus move approved
PLANS by Grwp Llandrillo Menai to relocate its Bangor campus to Parc Menai have been approved by the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales despite opposition from Gwynedd Council.
The proposal to move to Ty Menai came as college bosses warned the existing city centre Ffriddoedd campus needed urgent maintenance and an estimated £18m merely to remain weatherproof and operational.
But there was some opposition locally to the plan to move students and staff out of the city, which is already struggling with footfall numbers.
This saw officers and the planning committee at Gwynedd council oppose the relocation last September and Welsh Government ministers have been encouraging a ‘town centre first’ policy approach from local authorities.
However the appeal had already been lodged due to frustration over delays with the planning process and Welsh Government inspectors have given the proposal the green light.
The £13m project will be jointlyfunded by the Welsh Government and Grwp Llandrillo Menai.
Grwp will move Coleg Menai’s existing provision from the Ffriddoedd Road and Friars site to the building on Parc Menai, which has stood largely empty in recent years.
The Ty Menai development will see the consolidation of Grwp’s creative industries provision, with courses ranging from performing arts and music technology to games design and TV production all available on the same site.
The campus will also house modern training facilities for other priority sectors identified by the Welsh Government and North Wales Regional Skills Partnership, including hospitality and catering and lifelong learning.
Grwp Llandrillo Menai chief executive Dafydd Evans said: “We have long identified that the Ffriddoedd site has come to the end of its useful life and that the young people of Gwynedd deserve better.
“Given that Ty Menai is positioned alongside businesses, it is perfectly located for greater partnership working with industry. This will help us to ensure that the learning and training opportunities offered to young people meet the skills requirements of local employers.”
Coleg Menai principal Aled Jones-Griffith added: “By aligning education with business, we believe that this development would also be a catalyst to reignite Parc Menai as an attractive destination for new companies. But most importantly, it would give the young people coming to Coleg Menai access to the high quality sector leading educational facilities.”