First glimpse of Wolverhampton's new Springfield
The iconic entrance gates to Wolverhampton's Springfield Brewery will be preserved under plans to build a multi-million pound construction college at the city site.
Springfield is set to become the home of the new West Midlands Construction University Technical College.
An application to Wolverhampton City Council reveals plans for a three-storey building at the sprawling site, along with a hard-surfaced sports area, staff parking and a large construction yard.
As part of the scheme, the famous M&B Springfield Brewery entrance arch, gatehouses and gates on Cambridge Street have been earmarked as the college's main entrance.
The existing grade two-listed building will undergo sympathetic repair and refurbishment, according to the plans.
Suhail Rana, chairman of the Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society, said preservation of the gates was fantastic news.
"We fully support what the university is doing to bring the brewery site back to life.
"The fact that they have identified a key historical element of the building and included it in their plans is pleasing.
"This is what we want in this city, for our businesses and institutions to preserve historical sites for future generations."
Emma Reynolds, MP for Wolverhampton north east, said: "With the university's relocation of its school of architecture and built environment to the same site, the new development will be a huge boost to the local area. The new site will provide young people fantastic opportunities to follow a career in construction"
When finished, the site will have 600 students plus staff. It is due to open in 2016, subject to planning permission being granted.
Additional parking will be provided with bays along Cambridge Street. The plans form the first phase of a £60 million project, which will eventually form the University of Wolverhampton's Springfield campus.
The university bought the brewery last year to create 'a centre of excellence with the most comprehensive construction education and training in Europe'.
The site originally became a brewery in 1874. It was taken over by Mitchells and Butlers in 1960 and ran as a brewery for 30 years until 1991. The site was ravaged by fire in 2004.
