Shrewsbury College is building a £5m Construction Skills Centre at London Road for September 2027: eight classrooms and four electrical and plumbing workshops.

Shrewsbury College is to build a £5 million Construction Skills Centre at its London Road Campus, with the first students due in September 2027.

The college announced the project on 19 October. It says work is due to begin this autumn (Shrewsbury College, 19 October).

What is being built

The new building is for students working towards electrical and plumbing qualifications. The college says it will include:

  • specialist facilities for electrical and plumbing training
  • eight new classrooms
  • four new workshops, with specialist training bays for hands-on work

The college says the centre will let it take more students and help with skills shortages in the region’s construction industry.

Who is paying

The money comes from the Department for Education’s construction skills capacity funding, together with a contribution from the college itself. The college has not said how the £5 million splits between the two.

The Department for Education published its list of successful bids on 28 July 2026. That list covers areas without a devolved mayoral authority, which includes Shropshire. It shows:

  • 41 construction projects offered funding in England between 2026 and 2030
  • seven of them in the West Midlands, including Shrewsbury College
  • Shrewsbury College also appears on the separate list of 46 post-16 capacity projects

The department’s list gives no amount for any college.

Telford College, in Telford and Wrekin about 15 miles east, is on the post-16 list but not the construction one.

What the college says

James Staniforth, the college’s principal, called it “fantastic news for Shrewsbury College, our students and our local community”.

“This major development will significantly enhance our learning environment, expand opportunities for young people, and ensure we continue to meet the growing demand for places at Shrewsbury College and the evolving skills needs of employers across the region,” he said.

Joycelin Hoyland, chair of governors, said the investment was part of the college’s long-term plan “to strengthen its campuses, expand capacity to meet demand for places”.

Shrewsbury College describes itself as Shropshire’s largest post-16 provider. This summer it reported results for 868 A level students, as our A level results report set out. Its London Road Campus is on the south-east side of the town.

What it means for you

  • If you are in Year 11 and thinking about electrical or plumbing work, you would start college in September 2027, the first intake the centre is due to take.
  • If you live near London Road, expect building work on the campus from this autumn. The college has not published a construction timetable or working hours yet.
  • If you employ apprentices, the college runs a separate employer line on 01743 653100.

We could not reach Shropshire Council’s planning register on 22 October to check for a planning application for the building. We will add the reference when we can.

Sources