HAVE YOUR SAY: £12m college plan for Doncaster Gate site

Ambitious Rotherham College hopes its new building will begin hosting higher education courses from September 2017.

The venture — on the former 19th century hospital site — aims to improve statistics showing just a fifth of residents hold qualifications above A-levels.

The college also believes it will be a further step in the town’s regeneration, bringing in hundreds more people daily and boosting trade.

Principal and chief executive Gill Alton said: “Rotherham is the only town in South Yorkshire without a university or a distinct higher education centre.

“This has implications for the incomes of citizens, the productivity of companies and Rotherham’s attractiveness as a destination for businesses.

“This HE centre will make an inspiring and major contribution to narrowing this gap.”

The college — rated good by Ofsted — currently has 335 HE students on courses including engineering, design, care and business.

A £4 million funding bid will be made to the Sheffield City Region for the new campus with the college raising the rest.

Rotherham Borough Council commissioner Julie Kenny has formally backed the proposals, which will be approved on Monday depending on objections.

Other sites considered for the campus included the upper Drummond Street car park and the markets complex.

Local businesses will be at the heart of the new campus, with education being industry-led rather than academic.

Forty organisations enquired about the site after the 19th century hospital was closed. The landmark building, opened in 1872, was torn down last summer after a battle with campaigners.

Rotherham Borough Council bought it from the health service for £5 million in 2010 to use as stop-gap offices for staff.

But the authority said the building cost £100,000 a year to maintain and would take £1 million to refurbish.

Rotherham District Civic Society secretary Eileen Hyland said: “Like many people, I’m sorry that the fascia was not left so it could be incorporated into a new building to give it some gravitas.

“But I am pleased that the site could be used for this purpose and hope the building’s name may reflect its history.”

The college has three campuses — Eastwood Lane, Dinnington and the Rawmarsh Road construction centre — into which £18 million has been invested in four years.

There is flexibility for the opening date to be put back a year. Existing medical facilities on Doncaster Gate will be unaffected.