Minister sets the ball rolling on £10m Learning Zone

Oct 8 2008 By Dave Goodban

THE building of Mid- Cheshire’s newest educational establishment has begun.

Local Government Minister John Healey MP broke the ground on Thursday to mark the start of building work on Mid-Cheshire College’s £10m Winsford Learning Zone.

He was joined by education chiefs and council dignitaries.

Land at the old gasometer site off Weaver Road, given by Vale Royal Borough Council, will house the state-of-the-art facility.

It will accommodate 250 full-time students and is due to open in September next year.

The college secured money from a host of organisations, including the Learning and Skills Council, the North West Development Agency and Cheshire Council, to help transform the innovative blueprint into reality.

Vale Royal chief executive Anne Bingham-Holmes, who has chaired the project steering group for the past three years, said: "Inviting John Healey to break the ground at the site of the Learning Zone highlights just how important this development is to the area. "The creation of such an innovative learning resource will give local communities the chance to enjoy flexible and diverse education opportunities and enable them to take control of their own future."