Eric Wright Construction has started the building and fit out of a £22million college building for Seashell Trust in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, which will deliver specialist education facilities for students aged 16-25.

The new building for Royal College Manchester is made up of a reception and specialist classrooms along with sports and administration facilities.  The building will also incorporate a café, activity hall with extended climbing wall, fitness suite, rebound room, sensory integration room and a suite of flexible multi-purpose rooms at ground floor level, with contemporary office space above and external landscaping. The building will provide 12 new classrooms and six individual teaching spaces.

Seashell provides support for young people with complex disabilities and communication needs. The specially equipped college building is designed to enable staff and students to move about with the minimum of restriction. It replaces an existing building which was not fit for purpose and did not have space for the adaptations needed to accommodate many of the students, some of whom use wheelchairs and other equipment to move about. Some students also live on campus in neighbouring residential homes.

Commenting on the start on site, James Eager, Director Lead from Eric Wright Construction said: “We’re really pleased to have started on the delivery of this superb new college building which will really enhance the lives of the students and staff alike. The building has gone through a painstaking design and review process in collaboration with the Trust’s teaching team, with every element of its design tailored to meet the needs of the students.”

Brandon Leigh, Chief Executive at Seashell, said: “Watching the building finally start to take shape is exciting and we can’t wait to see students and staff enjoying the building very soon. The new college building will mean improved accessibility for students and will be much better at meeting the needs of the young adults with complex disabilities who come to Seashell. Seeing the building complete will be a monumental point in our history!”

Eric Wright started enabling works in January and the building is expected to complete in Autumn 2025.

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