College opening hit by a 12 month delay

The opening of the new £77 million Sandwell College has been delayed by a year, following months of wrangling over funding.

The state-of-the art new building in Spon Lane, West Bromwich, was due to open in September next year.

But delays in funding have pushed plans back. Preparatory work is set to start later this week, and the 22-month project will not be finished until autumn 2011. It is the latest in a long line of regeneration plans to be delayed across West Bromwich and Sandwell.

Sandwell College was forced to slash £8 million from its original £85 million plan after the Learning and Skills Council reviewed its funding commitments.

Sandwell was one of a dozen areas to win payouts, but was forced to cut the cost of the plans.

Bosses have denied there will be any physical changes to the design of the building, or the facilities on offer.

Scott Upton, Sandwell College vice principal, said the savings have been found by the builders out of their building costs.

He said: "The new campus will be completed in 22 months and work starts in earnest in November.

"The delays imposed by the Learning and Skills Council's pause in capital funding were beyond our control, but we are now well on target for completion in autumn 2011.

"We look forward to providing the local community with a new college that they can be proud of, at the heart of the wider regeneration of West Bromwich."

Contractors will officially start pre-works this Friday, and the college will be marking the occasion with a ground-breaking ceremony.

Under the plans the new building will cater for 10,000 students and will include a European-style piazza.

The existing three sites in High Street, West Bromwich, Pound Road in Oldbury and Crocketts Lane in Smethwick, will merge into one larger campus.

The West Bromwich site has already been sold to Advantage West Midlands who is renting it back to the college. The Oldbury site is under offer while the site in Smethwick is still on the market.