New look £12.6m tower at the Bedford College riverside campus is unveiled

The new look tower at the Bedford College riverside campus has been officially unveiled.

The 1959 building has been regenerated into a centre for Health Sciences and Digital Skills at a cost of £12.6 million. It will mean a further 250 students can be added to the 4,000 already linked to the campus. Part of the funding – £3 million – came from the Bedford Town Deal which won £22.6 million from Central Government towards rejuvenating the town centre.

The campus – which was officially opened on Thursday (November 30) – has some serious green credentials:

>heat pumps

>ultra-efficient mechanical heating and ventilation

>high-grade thermal insulation, windows and cladding

Yiannis Koursis, new chief executive of The Bedford College Group, said: “As well as focusing on improving the skills of the young people within Bedford and the surrounding area, refurbishing this building on Cauldwell Street also supports the regeneration of the town centre by providing a much-improved aspect to the riverside landscape.

“The new configuration of the building now includes a new public entrance on the north aspect allowing entrance direct from the pedestrian bridge across the River Great Ouse.”

Samantha Laycock, chair of the Bedford Town Deal Board and manager for the Harpur Centre said: “The new entrance leading to the riverside bridge is already working well to connect Bedford College to the town centre and its businesses.”

Councillor Andrea Spice, portfolio holder for town centres and planning at Bedford Borough Council, said: “This investment in Bedford College’s campus will widen the breadth of the local skills offer and will be designed flexibly to encourage access to learning. It’s also great to see the new lights making the building even more visible from the Riverside area.”

Cllr Henry Vann, leader of Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats, said: “The new Health Sciences and Digital Centre is the legacy of former college head Ian Pryce and former mayor Dave Hodgson, securing the Town Deal investment from central government by working together. It is an outstanding building but also focuses on skills and links the college to the riverside.”