ISG Totty Building has been awarded a £1.6 million project by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to construct a new Lifelong Learning Centre in Royston. The new Centre brings together a range of learning resources, including a library and state-of-the-art ICT suite, onto one purpose built site on Station Road, adjacent to council offices and the town’s swimming pool.

Work has recently commenced on site to construct the striking two-storey facility, which features a rotunda structure at the rear of the building housing a computer access area and casual reading zone at ground floor level. Royston’s replacement library occupies a large open plan area on the ground floor, with additional facilities including a children’s day care centre, a baby change facility, interview rooms and administrative offices.

At first floor level, the Centre boasts excellent teaching and training facilities with a large ICT suite and a demonstration kitchen. A new café and large community meeting room, as well as three smaller meeting rooms and a range of back office accommodation for staff are also located on this floor. The brick and cedar clad Centre is expected to achieve a ‘very good’ BREEAM environmental rating, with the first floor benefiting from extensive natural lighting via a central glazed valley in the roof structure.

Externally, ISG Totty Building will create a car park and a secure crèche play area. A range of hard and soft landscaping finishes will be carried out across the site, with the project scheduled for completion by June 2008.

Paul Clarkson, regional construction director at ISG Totty Building, commented: “The new Lifelong Learning Centre at Royston incorporates an impressive range of facilities in a modern, high specification building within an easily accessible location. The building is set to become an integral part of the local community and has been specifically designed to reduce its impact on the environment and maximise the use of natural light throughout.”

Royston ward councillor Graham Kyte said: “I am delighted to see this project finally coming to fruition. It is the result of a lot of hard work by a good number of people and the community benefits of the lifelong learning centre will be enormous. I hope that when complete it will receive maximum usage by the people of Royston and those who live beyond.”

Cllr Linda Burgess, Cabinet spokesperson for Children, Young People and Families, said: "This is wonderful news for the Royston community and once again demonstrates our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality lifelong learning opportunities for the residents of Barnsley."

Email: Nick.Hann@isgplc.com