Banbury
Close to the heart of the historic town centre, our friendly Banbury campus is the setting of an exciting redevelopment project.
A new look for Banbury
Our campus sits on both sides of Broughton Road, but we have an ambitious long-term plan to relocate the entire campus to the south side of the road. The first phase was completed with the opening of the £3.4 million Centre for Creative Arts in September 2011. Remodelling the original Art and Design building has delivered new atria space, replaced outdated building services and provided a modern, open-plan, highly-attractive and energy-efficient building.
Next phase of campus redevelopment secures funding
A £6m boost is on the way for education in Banbury. Oxford & Cherwell Valley College has secured funding for the second phase of its new campus development in the town.
The development will create purpose-built Media and Motor Vehicle Industry centres for the College alongside the recently opened Oxfordshire School of Creative Arts. Work is due to get underway this summer and it’s hoped staff and students will be able to move in before the end of 2013.
OCVC secured a £2m grant from The Skills Funding Agency to support the project, and is injecting £4m from its own funds. Principal Sally Dicketts says: “We are thrilled to be able to announce that work can start on this new development which will make a big difference to our students and staff. In challenging economic times it is a huge boost to be able to invest £6m in education in Banbury in a way that will also benefit local businesses and the community. We’re also very grateful to the Skills Funding Agency for their support of this development.”
The Media centre will be on three levels although – to work with the topography of the site and provide dark room facilities - the lower level will be built into the hillside at the back of the Oxfordshire School of Creative Arts building. It will be a new home for OCVC’s media and performance art courses. The Motor Vehicle Industry Centre will be a single storey purpose-built facility allowing students to learn the skills they need using the latest equipment and technologies. Both new buildings will have eco-features for their lighting, heating and cooling systems, and it’s hoped they will secure an Excellent rating in the BREEAM environmental assessment method and system for buildings.