January 23, 2014 11.03 am This story is over 122 months old

Bishop Burton College Riseholme campus move to Lincolnshire Showground approved

Agricultural college: A planning application for Bishop Burton College to relocate from Riseholme to a site adjacent to the Lincolnshire Showground has been approved.

West Lindsey District Council has approved a planning application for Bishop Burton College to relocate from Riseholme to a site adjacent to the Lincolnshire Showground.

Bishop Burton College are moving their current campus at Riseholme, as their lease on the site expires in 2020. The University of Lincoln, which presently owns the lease, intends not to extend it.

Bishop Burton’s Skills Funding Agency Capital Investment Fund bid will provide over £6 million of grant funding towards a total investment that will be more than £13 million.

The proposed Animal Science Centre. Image: CAD Associates

The proposed Animal Science Centre. Image: CAD Associates

The campus will house labs, workshops, animal units, a farm and halls of residence for students, taking around 3,500 square meters of land.

The site will be positioned so it will not affect various events on the Showground, such as the Lincolnshire Show.

The first phase of development will be to establish the campus, before moving all provision from Riseholme to the site by 2020.

The project has been part-funded by the Skills Funding Agency and work on the new campus is due to start in February 2014.

Visual Precision Agriculture & Arboriculture Workshops. Image: CAD Associates

Visual Precision Agriculture & Arboriculture Workshops. Image: CAD Associates

Jeanette Dawson, OBE Principal and Chief Executive of Bishop Burton College, said: “I’m delighted to advise that the planning committee gave the build plans their wholehearted support.

“It’s now full steam ahead for the construction of a new state of the art land based college of which the county can be proud, allowing us to provide a workforce with up to date skills to the land based industry in Lincolnshire and beyond.”

Proposed Visual Student Accommodation. Image: CAD Associates

Proposed Visual Student Accommodation. Image: CAD Associates

Jayne Southall, Director of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, said: “We are delighted that the planning has been passed for the Bishop Burton development.

“We feel having a state of the art agricultural college is close proximity to the Showground works perfectly for the society and for Lincolnshire’s agricultural roots.

“I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that the development wont effect the Lincolnshire Show, or any other event at the Showground.

“We will remain open and look forward to seeing the work start in the next couple of months.”