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A FUNDING crisis could have derailed a multi-million college redevelopment had builders started work a couple of months later.
Orpington College is being given a £26m revamp to provide state-of-the-art facilities that will help regenerate the town centre.
But the Learning and Skills Council, which is providing the bulk of the money, has been unable to provide cash for similar projects throughout the country.
The principal of Orpington College, Simon Norton, says the college’s funding is safe because building work got underway “in the nick of time”.
He said: “Thankfully because our project is underway it’s not going to be affected.
“We got building in the nick of time, if we had been a couple of months late it might never have got rebuilt.
“We didn’t know it at the time but we are breathing a huge sigh of relief.
“A couple of months later it would have been a very different story.”
Intensive building work has been underway for almost one year with construction slightly ahead of its scheduled completion in spring next year.
The college will boast a study centre, eco-friendly heating and cooling systems, student café, and social area as well as a new roof for the sports hall.
A huge steel frame resembling a meccano set is already in place, with the college beginning to take shape.
Buildings dating back more than 30 years have been demolished and the foundations are in place for new teaching blocks.
Mr Norton said: “We have seen a fantastic growth, the building has been charging forward and we are delighted with that.
“It’s been a massive piece of work, it’s quite exciting.
“It’s been a hell of an undertaking but I am really proud of the way staff and students have worked around the issue.”
Orpington College is being given a £26m revamp to provide state-of-the-art facilities that will help regenerate the town centre.
But the Learning and Skills Council, which is providing the bulk of the money, has been unable to provide cash for similar projects throughout the country.
The principal of Orpington College, Simon Norton, says the college’s funding is safe because building work got underway “in the nick of time”.
He said: “Thankfully because our project is underway it’s not going to be affected.
“We got building in the nick of time, if we had been a couple of months late it might never have got rebuilt.
“We didn’t know it at the time but we are breathing a huge sigh of relief.
“A couple of months later it would have been a very different story.”
Intensive building work has been underway for almost one year with construction slightly ahead of its scheduled completion in spring next year.
The college will boast a study centre, eco-friendly heating and cooling systems, student café, and social area as well as a new roof for the sports hall.
A huge steel frame resembling a meccano set is already in place, with the college beginning to take shape.
Buildings dating back more than 30 years have been demolished and the foundations are in place for new teaching blocks.
Mr Norton said: “We have seen a fantastic growth, the building has been charging forward and we are delighted with that.
“It’s been a massive piece of work, it’s quite exciting.
“It’s been a hell of an undertaking but I am really proud of the way staff and students have worked around the issue.”
