Sheffield's 'Greenest' College to Get New Neighbour

The new Castle College building currently under construction on Granville Road is already creating a stir locally with its green credentials. 

The children's nursery, which can be seen from the main road and the tram, has an impressive green roof created by thousands of low, slow growing sedum plants.

The plants change colour throughout the seasons adding aesthetic value as well as environmental benefits.

The main building will also contain many eco-friendly features including solar panels and wind turbines to provide power to the campus and rainwater harvesting, which will ensure effective water management. 

The array of features will guarantee the new building meets the highest environmental standards and reduces the carbon footprint of the site.

Julie Byrne, Director of Castle College, said:  "The new college building is set to be a major landmark in the city and will provide our students with outstanding facilities. 

"This will be the first purpose-built vocational college in the region, enabling us to deliver excellence and improve the employability of our students."

Once completed, students and staff currently using the buildings on the opposite side of Granville Road will move into the new building, making the Northside campus redundant.

The college has successfully reached an agreement with the national regeneration agency English Partnerships to purchase the site.

In announcing the sale to English Partnerships, Julie Byrne commented: "Their record for creating places that are in line with the needs of the local people and business community makes them an ideal neighbour.

"The monies from the sale will be immediately reinvested into supporting the building of the new Castle College and the completion of The Sheffield College Accommodation Strategy."

Kate Reid, Senior Regeneration Manager for English Partnerships, said: "We have brought the redundant campus site into our portfolio of surplus public sector land and will ensure the land is effectively used to support housing growth in Sheffield."

Over the years, many thousands of Sheffield people have studied at the college and all will remember the bridge over Granville Road joining the two campuses. The bridge will be demolished as the new scheme reaches completion. 

Julie Byrne added: "Students and staff have suggested that it would be great to consider ways in which the bridge could be remembered.

"One suggestion is that one of our student-run enterprise businesses produce a range of commemorative items such as mugs and drinking glasses.

"The memorabilia items are obviously just a bit of fun but the idea has already sparked lots of interest from ex-students."