College gets go-ahead for upgrade

The new building would contain an IT suite and sporting facilities

Planning permission has been granted for a "state-of-the-art" new building at a Teesside college.

The £22m facility, at Stockton Sixth Form College, will include an IT suite, media, arts and graphic design studios, and science labs.

It will replace buildings opened in 1973 by then education minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Construction is due to start in Spring and it will be open for the new academic year beginning September 2010.

Martin Clinton, the college principal, said: "It will give our students an environment that will be conducive to effective learning.

"It will house the leading-edge technologies that will enable our students to compete in the global labour markets of the 21st century.

"This is going to be a world-class building, one we can all be proud of."