Fareham College has awarded the contract to design and build its new £12m engineering and advanced manufacturing skills centre to Leadbitter Ltd, it has been announced.

The project is the first step in an ambitious £26m capital investment programme by the college, which received a further boost last week with news of a £4.7m award from the Skills Funding Agency.

The CEMAST centre, on the Solent Enterprise Zone, will focus particularly on advanced marine and aerospace manufacturing sectors and represents a major investment in the future of engineering skills for the Fareham and Gosport peninsula.

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Jacobs UK Ltd is the client project manager, cost consultant and CDMC for the CEMAST project, working with the client and contractor to ensure the contract is let within the agreed budget and on programme.

Perkins Ogden Architects rose to the challenge of the ambitious funding-driven planning programme, helping to secure planning for the £12 million centre just six months after its appointment. It has subsequently worked on the contractor's team to develop the design in close collaboration with the college. Spokesperson Mervyn Perkins said: "Our aim is that CEMAST, the first new building on the recently created Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus, will set a high design-quality benchmark and even a building typology upon this unique site for future neighbours to respond to."

The CEMAST project is the first phase of a wider £26 million programme to transform Fareham College into a centre of excellence for technical, vocational and applied studies.

(CD)