Cymraeg

Estates Developments

As one of Wales' top performing colleges, we're proud to have state-of-the-art facilities and industry-standard equipment available for our learners. We're always looking to improve our offer for learners and keep up with the latest developments and demands, so we have several exciting projects afoot to help us lead the way in educating the workforce of the future.

Select a development:

Torfaen Learning Zone
Architect's impression of the 1917 building
1917 Building
Architect's impression of The HiVE Centre
HiVE
Artists impression of Newport Knowledge Quarter
Newport Knowledge Quarter

Torfaen Learning Zone

Torfaen Learning Zone is part of the Welsh Government 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme. Managed and run by Coleg Gwent in partnership with Torfaen County Borough Council, the £24 million development replaces three English medium school sixth forms in the borough and will be home to all A Level education in Torfaen.

The new campus brings further education services together under one roof for Torfaen. Offering a wide range of courses including academic, vocational and university level qualifications, there’s something suitable for all ages and types of learners, including the Welsh Baccalaureate. Following a similar model to the Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone in Ebbw Vale, the building is fully accessible and includes specialist facilities for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN).

The campus is bright, light and airy with modern amenities and facilities – an ideal environment for learning and inspiring young minds. Designed with its environmental impact in mind, the Learning Zone’s is situated in a prime location next to the Morrisons store in the town centre, making it easily accessible for learners and staff, with excellent links to public transport and local facilities.

Torfaen Learning Zone building

Performance hall

Modern classrooms, IT, Science labs and art studio

Library and study centre

Flexible working spaces

Quiet rooms and chillout areas

Social spaces, student lockers and free wifi

Music and media suite

Prayer room

Student support services

On-site IT tech support

Specialist ALN facilities

Official opening celebration

An official opening celebration was held with partners Torfaen County Borough Council in October 2021.

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Open for teaching and learning!

Torfaen Learning Zone opened for teaching and learning in April 2021.

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Topping out ceremony

In September 2019, we ‘topped out’ in a special roof top ceremony with Torfaen Council.

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Ceremonial sod cutting

In November 2018, we saw the ceremonial sod cutting of Torfaen Learning Zone.

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1917 Building

Known as the 1917 building, this dis-used agricultural barn is located opposite our main campus buildings in Usk and forms part of the College’s estate. As part of our curriculum strategy to transform our hospitality, catering, travel and tourism provision, the 1917 building poses a fantastic opportunity with great potential for our learners and the wider community.

Our intention is to convert the historic building into a commercial deli, bar and restaurant, with industry-standard training facilities and training kitchen for our learners. The Edwardian barn will undergo a sensitive renovation sympathetic to its history, character and heritage, maintaining its 1917 identity as its name and brand.

1917 will become both a public-facing restaurant and first-class training facility for our learners, complementing the vibrant and already established food scene in Usk. We intend to source produce locally and support the neighbouring agriculture, tourism and hospitality sectors. The building will be developed with sustainability in mind, while the catering school will become renowned as a centre of excellence for apprenticeship-based learning, developing much-needed skills for the industry.

Architect's impression of the 1917 building

Fully equipped training kitchen

Commercial kitchen

Deli

Brasserie/restaurant

Changing areas

Designs nearing completion

A contractor and design team are currently completing the detailed design ready to commence work on-site when planning is approved.

Planning application update

We're now awaiting a resolution of some drainage-related issues before the planning application can be determined.

Planning application submitted

The Planning Application for a £4.8M project to develop the historic 1917 building has been submitted.

HiVE

With a growing need for STEM knowledge and skills in the local economy, it’s Coleg Gwent’s ambition to educate the workforce of the future in a dedicated facility where learners will be surrounded by innovation and technology reflective of industry. Our new High Value Engineering (HiVE) Centre in Ebbw Vale is due to open at the former Monwel factory site in 2023.

In partnership with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Welsh Government, Tech Valleys, and education, we’re planning an £8.5 million investment in an Advanced Engineering Centre close to our Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone campus, which will offer high-quality engineering education to equip young people with skills for the future.

The project is currently in the planning and design phase, with a view to begin construction of the centre of excellence in the summer of 2022. We plan to create a state-of-the-art, carbon-neutral and entirely digital education facility, training the future workforce in advanced engineering disciplines such as robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous manufacturing, simulation, and augmented reality. The curriculum will be designed and led by industry experts, delivering new courses at levels 3, 4, 5 and 6, bringing excellence and expertise to the area and boosting the local economy.

Bringing together industry and education in high-value engineering, the HiVE Centre will offer research and development opportunities for industry partners, and it will be a base for school and employer outreach programmes, benefiting the wider community.

Architect's impression of The HiVE Centre

Space for around 450 learners

Clean, open-plan and fully automated facility

Automation labs

Virtual and augmented reality suites

Advanced manufacturing facilities

Autonomous vehicle workshops

Dennison Advanced Materials Centre (DAMC)

Specialist motorsport and aeronautical facilities

Facilities around space, drones and autonomous vehicles

Equipment purchased

£500,000 of high value engineering equipment purchased for testing at Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone.

School outreach pilot

A £100,000 school outreach pilot engineering hub project commenced at Tredegar Comprehensive School.

Projected opening date

The HiVE is aiming to be complete and open in September 2023.

Anticipated start date

Works are anticipated to start on-site in September 2022.

Project out to tender

The project is going out to tender later this month (May 2022).

Detailed design stage

The project is under the management of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and is currently at a stage of detailed design.

Planning permission granted

Planning permission for the HiVE project has been granted.

Planning application submitted

The planning application for a £8.5M High Value Engineering centre has been submitted.

Newport Knowledge Quarter

Our City of Newport Campus located on Nash Road requires significant investment to educate the workforce of the future to the highest standard and provide excellent teaching and learning facilities. Newport County Borough Council have announced a regeneration proposal to relocate the Newport Centre to a new leisure centre site on the Riverfront, with the current Newport Centre site being developed into a new Coleg Gwent campus and forming part of the Newport Knowledge Quarter.

This provides us with the opportunity to create a brand-new, modern and fit-for-purpose facility in a more accessible location for our learners and staff. The £90m state-of-the-art college campus will relocate the provision of a wide range of further education courses from Nash Road, bringing around 2,000 students and staff into the city centre. This enhanced learning environment will be close to the University of South Wales campus – the city’s existing higher education provision – forming the Newport Knowledge Quarter.

The brand-new city-centre education facility will offer more accessible learning opportunities to improve educational outcomes and community resources in the area, while also boosting the local economy and increasing footfall in the city centre.

Artists impression of Newport Knowledge Quarter

Library and study centre

Flexible working spaces

Quiet rooms and chillout areas

Social spaces, student lockers and free wifi

Prayer room

Student support services

On-site IT tech support

Specialist ALN facilities

Modern teaching spaces

Science and technology labs

Hair, beauty and catering facilities

Staff and welfare areas

Workshop space for a wide range of courses.

Final proposals and designs

Final proposals and designs are now being worked on ahead of the submission of a full planning application.

Cabinet agreement

The Cabinet agreed to proceed with plans to relocate the leisure centre and turn the current Newport Centre site into a Coleg Gwent campus.

Public approval

A public consultation attracted widespread approval for the plans.

Early project stages

The Newport Knowledge Quarter project is at an early stage of space modelling, strategic agreement and discussion of legal matters.

Cabinet report published

A Cabinet report was published in December 2020 for the redevelopment of the existing Newport Centre site to provide a brand-new further education facility for Coleg Gwent delivered under the 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme.

Press enquiries

For press and media enquiries about our latest estates developments, please contact news@coleggwent.ac.uk with an outline of the information and details you're looking for, and our communications team will get back to you as soon as possible.