Award-winning Midlands construction firm McPhillips has been appointed by Telford & Wrekin Council to deliver the transformation of its former offices into a state of-the-art new sixth form centre.
The Telford-based contractor will completely renovate the former Addenbrooke House building for use by Telford College as part of the wider £80million Station Quarter development in the heart of the town.
The office renovation will allow the college to relocate all of its A-level provision into one central site improving accessibility for young people from all parts of the town and encouraging more students to stay studying in the borough.
Paul Inions, managing director of McPhillips, said: “Our roots in this borough run deep, with more than 80 per cent of our team living within 20 miles of our Telford base.
“The reality of that is that it will be local people involved directly in delivering this fantastic project – the very same people who have no doubt benefited themselves from the already excellent training and skills offered through Telford College in the form of apprenticeships and construction skills training. I know they will be proud to give something back.
“It’s exactly the kind of project we want to be working on – one which helps and provides opportunity for others to build their bright futures right here in our community.
“As we build on the success of our 60th anniversary year, this flagship project within our own town is a perfect landmark. We are also progressing a £20m project in Newport for retirement living operator Untold Living, cementing our commitment to the borough.
“We know we are unusual in the construction industry because we directly employ most of our workers, which is all part of helping to support our local economy. We will also be looking to recruit new apprentices this year as we continue to go from strength to strength.”
The new sixth form centre will complement the newly-completed The Quad building nearby, which was opened in September 2024 and is home to Harper Adams University, a new digital skills hub and a start-up business hub.
Work has also started on 189 new homes on the site, which is within easy walking distance of Telford’s train and bus stations and the covered shopping centre.
The new sixth form centre will allow Telford College to significantly expand its A-Level offering in a self-contained setting. It will include state-of-the-art science labs for physics, biology and chemistry, a drama studio, arts studio, bespoke library, and much more.
The college hopes that the central location will make studying for A-levels more practical for young people in the south of the town, as well as attracting some of the 500+ young people who currently travel outside of Telford & Wrekin for A Levels.
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Councillor Lee Carter said: “Telford College’s new sixth form centre will be a huge boost to the college’s existing training and skills offering and is excellent news for the borough. We are committed to providing the best education, training and skills opportunities for local people and to attracting the best quality job opportunities to the borough.
“It’s also fantastic to know that a local company has been awarded the contract for delivering the project – a further demonstration of our desire to support local business.”
The new sixth form centre is expected to open in September 2026 and is part of a major expansion for the college, which will also see a £1.8 million-plus investment in its Wellington campus to transform it into a high-level technical and vocational centre of excellence working with higher education institutions.
