Northern Ireland

New £46m Northern Regional College campus opens in Coleraine

Housing 150 staff and 1,300 students each year, the new campus will offer training for restaurants, laboratories, hair and beauty salons, animal management and a fully equipped television studio

Pictured at the opening of the new campus in Coleraine: Student Claudia McLaughlin-Hunt, Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College Mel Higgins, Economy Minister Conor Murphy; Ken Nelson, chair of NRC governing body and students Ben Nelson and Oliver Higgins. PICTURE: KELVIN BOYES/PRESS EYE
Pictured at the opening of the new campus in Coleraine: Student Claudia McLaughlin-Hunt, Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College Mel Higgins, Economy Minister Conor Murphy; Ken Nelson, chair of NRC governing body and students Ben Nelson and Oliver Higgins. PICTURE: KELVIN BOYES/PRESS EYE Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. (Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye/Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye )
By Allan Preston

A new £46m college campus has officially been opened by the Economy Minister Conor Murphy in Coleraine.

The Causeway Campus for Northern Regional College will be home to over 150 staff and 1,300 students every years - with a 15% increase in full-time enrolments already in place for the new academic year.

With a four-storey new build incorporating a restored listed Victorian building, the state of-the-art facilities offers over 50 new education and training spaces including laboratories, hair and beauty salons, animal management areas and a fully equipped television studio and control room.

A new training restaurant is also set to open to the public later in the autumn.

Located on Union Street, the campus brings together the college’s former Coleraine and Ballymoney campuses.

Speaking at the official opening, Mr Murphy said the new campus had already become an important landmark in Coleraine.

“Integrated with its neighbouring community, and designed with students and industry partners in mind, the facility provides a comfortable and vibrant place to learn and innovate,” he said.

“It makes use of the latest technologies and is designed to be agile, in response to the emerging needs of innovative businesses now, and in the future.”

He added that the construction had provided more than 2,500 weeks of employment and training, including through traineeships and apprenticeships across construction-related trades.

NRC Principal and Chief Executive, Mel Higgins, said: “This is a momentous day for our college as this world-class campus is now open and ready to be enjoyed by Coleraine and wider community.”

Ken Nelson MBE, Chair of NRC’s Governing Body, added: “Today’s official opening of the new Causeway Campus is a triumph of persistence, patience, and partnership and I would like to congratulate everyone involved in bringing this vision for first-class learning to life.”