THE economic benefits to the region of a new, enlarged University College Worcester could be significant.

The Henwick Grove college already contributes an estimated £100m a year to the local economy through the spending power of its 7,000 students and 600 employees, according to a feasibility study carried out by consultants KPMG.

If it expands into the former Castle Street Royal Infirmary site, as it intends to, this will increase still further.

The expansion would see student numbers almost double, to 12,000, and employee numbers rocket to 900.

As well as putting money back into the community, a new, extended UCW would also have as one of its key objectives the building of an entrepreneurial and skilful workforce.

Regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands, which bought the Castle Street site for £5m on behalf of UCW, has produced a Regional Economic Strategy (RES), which emphasises the crucial role of the region's universities in contributing directly to a skilled work force.

A key feature of the development would be the creation of a South West Midlands Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Skills, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Business Link, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Hospitality and tourism would also be catered for, with high specification hospitality facilities, including a conference centre and residential accommodation, included in the plans. A collaborative agreement would also be set up with Worcester College of Technology, in Deansway, to train hospitality students on the site.

Collaborative opportunities are also being discussed with Birmingham University in the field of medical research.

New expansion will cater for growth in applications

WORCESTER'S university is expected to grow to about 12,000 students by 2012 - almost double what it is now.

The new campus, earmarked for the Castle Street Infirmary site, will allow University College Worcester to realise its full potential as a seat of higher education learning.

This year, UCW has the most students it has ever enrolled, at 6,919, and requests for the 2004 prospectus are already double those made for 2003.

According to a feasibility study carried out by consultants KPMG on behalf of UCW and other stakeholders, the university's annual average growth since 1999 has been eight per cent.

Part-time students have risen even more, with growth of 20 per cent since 1999.

Local recruitment is strong, with UCW attracting half of all its higher education students from Herefordshire and Worcestershire. A further 23 per cent come from the rest of the West Midlands and Gloucestershire.

Consultants at KPMG created a predictive model to estimate future admissions at UCW, based on a range of data sources, including UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) acceptances and applications data.

A new, extended UCW would mean expanded participation in higher education for people from all over the region.

This would fit with the Government's commitment that by 2010, 50 per cent of young people will have had the opportunity to benefit from higher education.

"The expansion of UCW will allow us to greatly increase the numbers of people, young and old, part-time and full-time, choosing Worcester as their place of study for their higher education," said John Yelland, chairman of the board of governors at UCW.

"In particular, the expansion will enable us to provide local provision for areas currently under-supplied, for example, Herefordshire."

Study shows delight at plan

THE expansion of University College Worcester into a second campus, on the site of the former Castle Street Royal Infirmary, is strongly supported by the local community and employers, according to a feasibility study.

The study, carried out by consultants KPMG, included extensive consultation with residents and employers, through a combination of focus groups, a telephone opinion poll and one-to-one interviews.

Support

The results showed that 77 per cent of residents in Herefordshire and Worcestershire support UCW's expansion proposal on to the Castle Street site.

More than two thirds (68 per cent) of residents in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are positive about the quality of local higher education provision.

Travel time

And more than half (54 per cent) of residents who expressed a view about higher education (HE) opportunities thought more HE opportunities should be available locally, with the main benefits being reduced travel time to study.

The findings of the study are backed up by the Evening News' own investigations, reported in Friday's edition, which found widespread support for the project among county residents.

'Learning quarter' in city's heart

A VIBRANT "learning quarter" incorporating a state-of-the-art library and learning centre for use by everyone in the region is on the cards for Worcester's city centre.

The Evening News can exclusively reveal the detailed plans for the former Castle Street Royal Infirmary site, which has been earmarked for a university campus as part of a new, extended University College Worcester.

More than £80m will be spent on developing the site, which overlooks the city's racecourse, and turn it into an "innovative, nationally significant development".

The college - which is aiming for full university status in 2004 - is predicted to almost double its student numbers by 2012, based on current growth patterns. And up to 300 new jobs could be created for teachers and support staff at the new campus.

The development will be a mix of new and restored buildings, with the original, Georgian infirmary, built in 1797, and the Grade II listed chapel, built in 1849, kept and enhanced.

Professor David Green, UCW principal, said the expansion - which will mean a further 3,000 student places - would ensure wider student participation and "equality of access" to UCW for students from all backgrounds.

"We will also provide a unique learning centre and library in the heart of the city to serve higher education and further education students, business and children in the city and two counties."

He said it would also allow UCW to provide "an innovative and creative approach to education, based on partnership".

"It will provide us with the larger size and greater scope, which will enable us to create a first-class university here.

"For the city of Worcester, it will ensure that a prominent, but currently derelict, area of the city centre is regenerated, transforming it into a vibrant learning quarter."

UCW now needs to secure funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England to implement its plans for the site, which was bought for £5m by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

Plans for the 55-acre site include:

A circular library and learning centre, incorporating the city library, and those of the Chamber of Commerce and Worcester College of Technology, forming a major feature on the corner of Croft Road and Castle Street.

Modern, student accommodation blocks housing 380 students.

A conference centre and exhibition space.

A recording studio.

A restaurant for 150 people.

Retail and commercial units in the arches beneath the viaduct.

Plaza-style paths, avenues and terraces, including a raised walkway along the length of the viaduct, which runs alongside the site, and a river view terrace.

Open spaces and gardens, including an entrance square.

Car parking, including an underground car park, and bus access point

Walkways and cycle routes connecting the campus with the city centre.