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:

Architect's impression of The HiVE Centre
HiVE
Impression of new Crosskeys entrance
Crosskeys Campus
Artists impression of Newport Knowledge Quarter
Newport Knowledge Quarter

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 2025.

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 construction phase, with building work due to be completed by October 2024 in time to welcome students, including those enrolled onto engineering courses at Coleg Gwent from Autumn 2025.

The carbon-neutral and entirely digital education facility, will train 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

Employer Advisory Board formed

Coleg Gwent and Blaenau Gwent County Council presented their plans for the new HiVE facility to potential employers, before inviting them to join the HiVE Advisory Board.

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Construction started

Contractors, ISG have started work on the site of the former Monwel Hankinson factory.

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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 2024.

Anticipated start date

Works are anticipated to start on-site in September 2023.

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.

Transforming Crosskeys Campus

We are embarking on the biggest programme of investment since its inception in 1960s. Our vision is for a bigger bolder better Crosskeys campus that meets the needs of a diverse curriculum. The existing infrastructure presents significant maintenance issues, with some buildings requiring significant investment to modernise the buildings and meet our net zero targets.

The transformation begins with relocating the main reception to X Block, which will pave the way for a multi-phased development. The first phase involves constructing a new building adjacent to X Block, then removing B and F Blocks. Subsequently, K and Z Blocks will be replaced, with future phases focusing on relocating the gym, engineering, and motor vehicle workshops to the front of the campus.

Our vision extends beyond infrastructure renewal to embrace sustainability. All new and refurbished buildings will be highly energy-efficient or low carbon, aligning with Welsh Government’s net-zero carbon targets.

We value input from our stakeholders and are actively engaging in a consultation process with staff, residents, and other key partners.

We are working together to create a campus that is modern, sustainable, and dynamic, so that we can continue to offer a fantastic student and staff experience for future generations. Once complete, the campus will be an enriching, inspiring place to learn and work; a sustainable campus that continues to meet the needs of the community, enhances links with our partner schools and promotes partnerships with local business.

Impression of new Crosskeys entrance

Consultation process

A series of consultation events open to the public on March 13th and 14th

Phase 1

The main reception will permanently move to X Block this summer in advance of work starting.  This will be an ambitious, multi-phased project which will transform the campus into a modern, cutting-edge learning environment that crucially will also help us meet our net zero carbon commitments. The Crosskeys Masterplan will be the cornerstone of our 9-year capital funding submission to Welsh Government in April.

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.