Bournemouth and Poole College has marked a milestone in the construction of its new learning facilities with a traditional topping out ceremony.

Structural work on the four-storey building at the college’s Bournemouth campus is now complete following placement of the final steel beam, signed by principal Phil Sayles.

The new facilities are backed by a multimillion-pound investment from the government’s further education capital transformation fund and will provide students with state-of-the-art classrooms, collaborative workspaces and learning technology.

They’re due for completion in 2026.

Speaking at the ceremony, Phil said: “This is an exciting day for Bournemouth and Poole College as the development is well on its way to completion.

“With the signing of this final steel beam, we are closer to creating a space that fosters creativity, collaboration and excellence which our students will thrive in.

“These new facilities will benefit people from across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for generations to come.”

The project is being managed by the Department for Education (DfE) in collaboration with construction partners Kier.

Cheryl Parsons, regional director at Kier Construction Southern, added: “It’s fantastic to be marking this important milestone.

“The project team have worked hard to get us to where we are now, combining engineering excellence with a collaborative approach to ensure the new Lansdowne campus will benefit Bournemouth for years to come.

“Our work both provides a state-of-the-art new teaching block and maintains and restores the college’s iconic clock tower, truly showing the breadth of what our teams can offer.

“It’s a project we’re all very proud of.”

The new facility will support courses in media, digital, business, travel, hair, beauty, hospitality, catering and sport.

It will also operate with net zero carbon emissions thanks to air source heat pumps and roof-mounted solar panels.

• thecollege.co.uk/college