Plans for a new college campus on a disused piece of land in Barry have been given the go ahead.
Cardiff and Vale College said the “state-of-the-art” Barry Waterfront Campus, which will be built on land south of Hood Road, is expected to open towards the end of 2026.
The plans are part of a wider £100 million scheme to replace the Colcot Road campus, which also includes a proposal for a new campus near Cardiff Airport, subject to a separate application.
Plaid Cymru Cllr Mark Hooper, who represents the Baruc ward, said: “I’m pleased with the relocation of the college to the waterfront. It’ll bring much needed footfall to the retail centre and the area more widely.”
“This makes good use of a brownfield site and looks like it will become an inspiring place to learn.”
Once completed, the new campus will cater for up to 1,000 full time and part time students and nearly 80 staff.
As well as classrooms, it will include active street frontages with a hair and beauty salon and a restaurant that will be open to the public and run by students.
Vale Council leader Lis Burnett called the approval of plans “wonderful news” and added the new Waterfront campus will be a “landmark development” for Barry.
Cllr Burnett said: “The new campus will redevelop a vacant brown field site close to the town centre and offer much needed new education and vocational training opportunities in an environmentally sustainable building."
“Once completed the new campus will serve as an excellent example of how education can be a major driver for local regeneration and placemaking.”
The land earmarked for development is on the junction of Hood Road and Ffordd y Mileniwm and next to Ysgol Gymraeg Sant Baruc.
The main access to the site will be from Ffordd y Mileniwm, which is the existing access road used for Ysgol Gymraeg Sant Baruc, with parking on site and cycle storage.
A council report on the plans state that the local authority’s highway development department was consulted and that parking provision falls short of the maximum provision.
However, the report goes on to add that “consideration should be given to the sustainable location of the site and it is also noted that the site frontage is already protected by Traffic Regulation Orders”.
Cardiff and Vale College group CEO, Mike James, said: “We are delighted that the Vale of Glamorgan has approved of this investment in education and training in the region."
“It is with real pleasure that I can say that we are delivering on our commitment to provide first-class teaching and learning environments for learners and the community in the Vale of Glamorgan."
“We will continue to work closely with the Welsh Government, Vale of Glamorgan Council and Welsh Education Partnership Company to ensure this project will be the success that I know it will.”
The upper floors of the college campus will include a gym, external garden terrace, classrooms and IT rooms.
Plans also show that there will be a dining area outside with a canopy and a courtyard with a grass lawn and seating area.
Cardiff and Vale College said they hope the planning application for the 13,000sqm Advanced Technology Campus near Cardiff Airport will be considered by Vale Council later this month.
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