Crane transforms college site view

This is the scene at the £77million Sandwell College site in West Bromwich, where the first tower crane has arrived to start work.

The new campus will see bases in West Bromwich, Smethwick and Oldbury brought together in Spon Lane.

Despite concerns over finances in 2009, machinery moved onto the site earlier this year, with the first of the two cranes now in place.

The college will eventually cater for 10,000 students and is part of a £500m regeneration project set to transform the town centre.

New build project manager Mark Green, of Interserve, said: "Works are progressing well on site, with piling operations nearing completion.

"Construction of the building foundations are currently ongoing. The arrival of the first of two tower cranes marks the move into the superstructure phase of construction."

Vice-principal Scott Upton said the tower crane, which can be seen for more than a mile from the M5 and M6, was a clearly visible sign of progress on the new college for Sandwell.

"The new building will stand out for miles around, which is really important. We need people to see that things are changing around here in a big way. The new college will act like a beacon, showing people that they do have opportunities to improve their prospects and become qualified for life.

Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell Council's regeneration boss, said: "Around 10,000 students will increase the footfall in West Bromwich dramatically and will help it become a vibrant and successful town centre."

Work is being recorded by webcam on the nearby Bond Wolf building. Visit http://skycam. sandwell.ac.uk/cgi-bin/quest image.html to see footage of the building being contructed.