DEMOLITION work at the former home of the Worcester News is underway.

A large part of the building on Hylton Road has been demolished, with only the rear section still remaining.

The University of Worcester bought the Hylton Road site back in 2019 and is transforming it into teaching facilities.

The large two and three storey 1965 building, designed by Austin-Smith Salmon-Lord Partnership, will become a "spacious, flexible, modern teaching facility".

Designers also say it will be "flooded with natural light from the impressive north light roof structures."

The fully refurbished building will include specialist facilities for teaching medical and health professionals and will be a significant addition to the University’s Severn Campus, whose focus is on health, wellbeing and inclusive sport.

City council planners approved the designs back in April this year, and the building will include a state-of-the-art anatomy laboratory, a suite of GP simulation rooms, and a range of general seminar and teaching rooms.

There will also be offices, break-out spaces for group study and a café.

The building is set to open at the end of 2022.

The university is hoping the new building will provide a centre for its planned Three Counties Medical School, which is currently progressing through the General Medical Council’s approvals and assessment procedures.

Midlands firm DSM Demolition Ltd is behind the scheme.

This initial work was co-funded by the University and the Worcestershire Local Economic Partnership (LEP) ‘Getting Building Fund’.

During last summer the Worcestershire LEP and the Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government made a £3m grant to the University for infrastructure and ‘green’ works at the former Hylton Road industrial estate.