Plans have been unveiled for The Bolton College of Medical Sciences (BCMS), a state-of-the-art training facility that will go before Bolton Council’s planning committee next month
Based at the Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth, BCMS is set to transform training and employment opportunities in the healthcare sector in Greater Manchester. It will provide training for existing and new staff, giving local people a direct route into healthcare employment and existing staff the opportunity to upskill.
The plans submitted to the council comprise a teaching and learning space, a café and event space plus associated staff and service space, and a dedicated multi-storey car park with at least 406 spaces, which could be boosted to 500 spaces subject to further planning and design consultation.
The proposed development incorporates two separate buildings: a four/part five-storey education building for the College, and the three-storey car park, to serve the BCMS learners, teaching and support staff and any visitors to the facility.
The plans also detail an attractive outdoor recreational space with planting, benches and cycle parking.
The project is a collaboration between Bolton College, the University of Bolton, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Council. The project is supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Skills Capital Fund. THE GMCA grant is £10m (conditional on planning approval) and the overall project cost is £30m.
BCMS will sit along Bolton Council’s new masterplan for Farnworth town centre, which is set to launch this Summer. It will also form a key part of the council’s ambitious “Bolton 2030” vision, which has a focus on improving the health and wellbeing of local residents, and economic prosperity.
In its construction phase, it is estimated BCMS will create 150 full-time equivalent jobs. Once open, it is expected to create an additional 25,000 jobs (apprenticeships and others) in the first 20 years.
Councillor Sean Fielding, GMCA lead for employment, skills and apprenticeships, said: “The GMCA are proud to be supporting the proposed Bolton College of Medical Sciences and have committed £10m from the Local Growth Fund. The new facility will offer improved pathways and state of the art facilities for learners in the medical sciences sector.
“Investment in skills is vitally important for Greater Manchester, making it attractive for employers, and giving every resident the chance to get ahead. We are looking forward to seeing the project move forward and offer our ongoing support.”
Bill Webster, Principal of Bolton College, the lead partner on the project, commented: “BCMS aims to become a model for the future of healthcare skills and training development in the region and beyond. Bolton has a proud record of doing things differently and this innovative project will transform access to education and employment in the healthcare sector for local people and beyond.
“BCMS will improve training provision for existing staff and opportunities for those looking to gain employment in the medical and healthcare sector. It will create thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships to alleviate the pressures on the local NHS workforce and improve healthcare provision.”
Kondal Reddy Kandadi, deputy vice-cancellor of the University of Bolton, added: “This strategic initiative will transform health education in Greater Manchester and the wider region. It will enable Bolton College and the University of Bolton to dramatically increase capability and capacity in an area where there is a nationally recognised and urgent skills gap.”
The strategic brief was developed by Just Ask Scarlett, design plans were by Associated Architects, Avison Young acted as planning consultant with Box Clever Consulting as project manager.
The full planning application is expected to be heard at Bolton Council’s planning committee on 13 June 2019.
Subject to planning permission, BCMS is expected to welcome its first intake in late 2021.
