Contractor is appointed for new £45m NRC campus

Located at Farm Lodge, the new campus will see teaching at the college’s existing sites at Farm Lodge, Trostan Avenue and the Lamont Building in the town consolidated onto one state-of-the-art campus. Initial preparatory work is expected to begin this month, with construction onsite commencing in June 2022. The new campus is due to be operational for the start of term in September 2024 with all works, including the new car park, fully complete for December 2024.

The Minister said: “I am delighted that Heron Bros Ltd has been appointed as the lead contractor to develop this new campus for Northern Regional College. The new campus will consolidate teaching onto one site of more than 17,600m2 in Ballymena, to deliver an even better learning experience for students. This £45million project, fully funded by my Department, is part of a wider £85million investment in Northern Regional College to include the redevelopment of its Coleraine campus. This capital investment is excellent news not only for the college and its learners, staff and wider community, but also for the local construction industry and associated supply chain, with over 150 new construction jobs to be created and a further 300 sustained during the building phase of the new Ballymena campus. Along with these full-time jobs, over 1,350 weeks of employment and training will be provided through traineeships, apprenticeships and Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) across a range of construction-related trades.”

The new Farm Lodge campus will feature a flexible ‘innovation zone’ that can be adapted for a wide range of activities, including cross-curriculum project-based learning, conferences and performances. In addition, the new campus facilities will offer extensive advanced technology workshops, CAD teaching and support facilities.

Mel Higgins, NRC Principal, said: “The appointment of Heron Bros Ltd takes us a step closer to realising our ambitious vision to create a world-class learning environment for our students across two state-of-the-art campuses, equipping them with the skills to enter the workforce, making Northern Ireland a more productive economy, and to further enhance our ability to welcome and serve our local communities.”