The £8 million Metro Maintenance and Renewals Skills Centre in South Shields has received planning permission. Stephen George + Partners, one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, will be working on this pivotal regeneration project, which is a flagship development that promises to bring skills and new employment into the region.
SGP worked together with contractor Galliford Try Infrastructure and developed a 33,500 sq ft single building option that will accommodate a training centre and light maintenance facility, meeting the client’s budget whilst maintaining the facilities’ operational requirements. The development will be unified, having the training centre wrapped around the light maintenance area. The accommodation will be stacked vertically, allowing the reception and the break-out spaces to overlook the main entrance, while keeping classroom, meeting and engineering activities clearly split between floors.
“This is a key milestone, enabling the team to now focus on the construction stage of the Metro Skills and Renewals Centre,” explained Alistair Branch, Director at Stephen George + Partners. “SGP is pleased that with this decision and their continued support, Nexus and Galliford Try will realise the delivery of a facility that will maintain the future of the Metro fleet and train the drivers and engineers of tomorrow.”
The Metro Maintenance and Renewals Skills Centre will contain classrooms, staff rooms, offices, meeting rooms, canteen and changing facilities, an enclosed light maintenance area, including train inspection pits, a platform and mock station. It will provide training for more than 1,000 people working on the Metro, such as contractors involved in the £350 modernisation of the urban rail system used by 40 million passengers a year. In addition, an external training track facility will be built to the west of the building.
The construction work is due to begin in late spring.
Stephen George + Partners specialises in masterplanning and the transport, residential, industrial, logistics, office, education and retail sectors. Committed to the highest standards of service quality, professionalism and architecture, the company has designed and delivered a portfolio that is rich in both complexity and scale.
