A MULTI-million pound extension at New College is reaching new heights now that the project has passed the halfway mark.

Steel works have been erected on the site in New College Walk, off Queens Drive, but it has fallen slightly behind schedule because of the ice and snow over the Christmas period.

However the £10m project is still expected to finish in July.

The work has meant that the skyline around the area has begun to change.

New College principal Graham Taylor said: “We are confident that the building work is running on time, we are due to complete works in July, and we are happy that the project is also on budget.”

The extension, which is being paid for by the college, will increase the college’s capacity by 35 per cent.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our new intake of students into the building in September,” he said. “The additional space the annexe offers will enable us to expand our courses and student facilities, as we strive to provide the best possible learning environment.”

The annexe is on the site of a previous building, which the college was given planning permission to develop in April last year.

The four-storey, 5,300 metres-squared facility will provide much-needed space for student services on the ground floor, with business and enterprise on the first floor, science, technology, engineering and maths on the second floor and an e-learning centre on the the third level.

The building will also accommodate classrooms displaced by expansions in the media, arts and performing arts.

Work started in October, when the college also set up a website for feedback from residents and students and they also held a residents meeting in November.

The college sent out about 2,000 invitations for the question and answer session but a spokeswoman for the college said that less than ten people came.

“People raised concerns with regard to how it will affect them,” she said. “We answered their questions and it was just to provide people with information about what was going on so nobody was left in the dark.

“We are hoping they know everything they need to know. If they don’t they can contact us.”

The builders are using their own entrance and partitions have been put up to keep students and staff safe.

To track the work’s progress, or to leave feedback about the extension, go to www.newcollege.ac.uk/ buildingyourfuture.