UTC kickstarts Warrington’s £190m Stadium Quarter

A UNIVERSITY technical college has been confirmed for Warrington, a move which is expected to kick start the £190m Stadium Quarter.

The college, which will be run by the University of Chester and focus on nuclear and energy engineering for 14 to 18-year-olds, will occupy a vacant site owned by the council opposite Central Station.

It will be the first tenant at the 90-acre site which was earmarked for office, leisure and residential uses in a masterplan published last year. Liverpool developer Iliad is the proposed development partner.

It is one of six new UTCs confirmed today by the Baker Deering Trust which is promoting the vocational institutions. Bolton will also have a UTC which will focus on health sciences and engineering technology.

The latest round of approvals takes the total number of UTCs to 50. They are funded by the Department for Education from the same pot as academies but have close ties to business.

Businesses sponsor UTCs in that they have seats on the governing body and play an active role in planning the curriculum design and planning. The Warrington college will be linked to Sellafield Ltd, which is managing the decommissioning of the Sellafield nuclear power station, and Risley-based engineering design firm Tenet Consultants. The commercial partners for the Bolton site are Chorley-based Ravat and Ray Dental Clinics and Bolton chemis, the Cohens Group.

Paul Adams, head of Sellafield’s Risley-based engineering improvement division, said: “Sellafield Ltd is excited about the Warrington UTC and sees it as critical to increasing the focus of our local education system towards engineering employers, helping to meet the resource requirements of the nuclear and other engineering industries. It will lead to fantastic opportunities in these industries for the young people of the North West.”

Warrington Council leader Terry O’Neill said: “Addressing the skills gap in the nuclear and engineering sectors is vital to help the growth of the town’s economy and fuel the needs of Warrington’s growing strength in these sectors. Warrington UTC will train, equip and prepare young people for careers in these sectors and fill new jobs in the town.”