London’s only environmental college secures £9m for green transformation
London’s only environmental college has been given the go-ahead to begin a huge £9million transformation to improve its education facilities and energy efficiency.
Capel Manor College’s project will see improvements to its Mottingham campus in Mottingham Lane. Part of the construction was live streamed on the college YouTube channel in August.
The college has five campuses across the capital, offering environmental courses like arboriculture, conservation, farming, floristry, garden design, horticulture, landscaping, veterinary studies and zoology.
A live stream from Capel Manor College’s YouTube channel showing the start of the Mottingham campus construction (Picture: Capel Manor College)
The project has been granted planning consent and is being funded with £6million from the Greater London Authority (GLA), £1.1million through the Department of Education’s T-levels capital fund and the remaining £1.9million from the college itself.
Set to improve the energy efficiency of the campus, the project will install air source heat pumps for heating and cooling buildings, as well as solar panels on the roof. A total of £8.5million will be spent on the new build.
A further £500,000 will be invested in new equipment and resources which will allow the college to deliver T-levels in animal care and management from September 2024. T-levels are a new two-year qualification for post-GCSE students aged 16 to 19, and are equivalent to three A-levels.
Capel Manor College’s vice principal, Denise Lloyd, said, “The T-level curriculum offers a huge opportunity for prospective students and local employers to support and develop the skills of our future workforce in London.
“The college plays a vital role in the green agenda for the capital, equipping the next generation of land-based sector workers with the skills and knowledge needed to help preserve and protect London’s wildlife, national parks and green spaces.”
Pictured top: A CGI image showing the entrance of the new build that will cost £9million (Picture: Supplied by Capel Manor College)