Silverstone: Flagship College Given Green Light

5 November 2012, 06:00 | Updated: 7 November 2012, 10:58

South Northamptonshire Council have given the green light for the construction of a flagship UK University Technical College (UTC) at Silverstone Circuit, which will open its doors in September 2013.

The College will be situated at the northern edge of the Silverstone Circuit, and will offer students aged 14 to19 the opportunity to gain the relevant skills and work experience for careers in high performance engineering and technical events management.

Councillor Rupert Fordham, portfolio holder for economic development and regeneration, said:  “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our district and confirmsSouth Northamptonshire’s place at the heart of high performance engineering.

“This will go a long way to not only ensure that the future ofUKmotorsport is centred on Silverstone but that these fantastic facilities will benefit our young people and improve employability within our district as it is set to grow in the years to come.”

The UTC is an educational partnership between Tresham College of Further and Higher Education,UniversityofNorthamptonand Silverstone Circuits, and will attract students from areas such as Corby, Northampton, Brackley, Towcester, Daventry, Banbury, Bicester and Milton Keynes.

The building will cater for 576 students and approximately 55 staff and will house workshops, laboratories, Computer Aided Design (CAD) studios, learning spaces, an exhibition hall, lecture theatre, café and atrium dining area.  There will also be excellent sports facilities.

OTHER UTC's:

* The Central Bedfordshire UTC - at Houghton Regis - OPEN

* Daventry UTC - at Ashby Road, Daventry - due to open: Sept 2013

* Elstree UTC - at Borehamwood - due to open: Sept 2013