Willmott Dixon has been appointed by the Department for Education to deliver a £39m  education building at Hopwood Hall College’s Rochdale campus.

Procured via the DfE Construction Framework, the project will see the demolition of 70,000sq ft of existing college buildings and their replacement with a four-storey educational facility spanning 75,000sq ft on the St Marys Gate campus. 

The new facility elevates Hopwood Hall College’s educational offering by bringing higher education provision to Rochdale for the first time alongside further education.

The new building will incorporate sustainable technologies including photovoltaics, air source heat pumps and a hybrid ventilation strategy to harness renewable energy and offset energy used on site.

Work is expected to commence imminently, with the new facility scheduled for completion towards the end of 2028.

Michael Poole-Sutherland, operations director at Willmott Dixon in the North West, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Department for Education and Hopwood Hall College on this significant investment in further education infrastructure for Greater Manchester. This project represents everything we stand for - delivering brilliant buildings that transform lives and strengthen communities.”

Willmott Dixon is already supporting four Hopwood Hall College students on T-Level industry placements. This project will further support the company’s commitment to T-Levels, in addition to creating 15 apprenticeships and 20 work placement opportunities.

Willmott Dixon will deliver its Building Lives Academy, a bespoke employability and skills offering, aimed at learners from the college’s Advanced Technology and Construction Centre and set to include site visits, mock interviews, work placements and mentoring. Alongside its local supply chain partners, the company will also prioritise creating employment opportunities for Rochdale residents with barriers to employment.

Across two campuses in Rochdale and Middleton, Hopwood Hall College has been educating generations of students since 1947 by offering academic, vocational and technical programmes that prepare young people and adult learners alike for successful careers and futures.

The project adds to Willmott Dixon's growing portfolio of educational excellence delivered alongside the DfE including the net-zero carbon in operation (NZCiO) Tarleton Academy in Preston. The company also delivered Brian Clarke Academy for the DfE in Oldham in 2023 and is currently on-site delivering Wigan and Leigh College’s campus redevelopment, also set to be NZCiO.

Willmott Dixon has also been celebrating success in the healthcare sector, having recently started work on a new £20m neighbourhood health hub in Weybridge, Surrey.

The purpose-built facility will transform primary and community healthcare provision for the local population.

Procured via the Procure23 framework, the project is being delivered on behalf of NHS Property Services, working in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board. Once complete, the development will represent one of the region’s most substantial recent investments in primary and community healthcare infrastructure.

The new facility will provide a modern health hub designed to meet both current and future population needs. The Phoenix Family Practice will relocate into the building, which will also include maternity services, same day urgent care, diagnostics, and health and wellbeing support. A flexible first floor space will allow the NHS to adapt services over time in response to changing local demand.