The Leader of the Council, Councillor Chris Read visited Maltby Learning Trust last week to see how work is progressing on the former Grammar School building.
Work started in March on the £5.9m project, which is now being delivered at pace to extend the Trust’s Post 16 specialist facilities and create an incubator space for training, apprenticeships and start up support in the leisure and hospitality sectors.
David Sutton, Chief Executive Officer of Maltby Learning Trust, said: “We are repurposing the old Grammar School building to create a community resource that accommodates local services, supports wellbeing, employment and enterprise and provides substantial learning opportunities for the Maltby community.
“Since work started earlier in the year, contractors have been working hard to clear and rebuild this once mothballed building. Passers-by will have seen new windows have already been installed and major roof repairs have been carried out, while inside work has started to modernise the 1930’s interior.”
The project is part of a winning bid secured by Rotherham Council through the Government’s Levelling Up Fund which will provide £4.5m towards the redevelopment.
The funding will be used to transform the building, including the landmark clocktower, into a three-storey community space to include bookable workspaces, serviced hot-desking, seminar rooms, a community coffee shop and an apprenticeship and skills development centre.
Councillor Chris Read said: “It’s great to see this project already starting to take shape. The funding we were able to secure came at just the right time to save the future of this iconic building, but perhaps more importantly it will be used to give local people more opportunities - for learning, for businesses and for community groups. It will be a really impressive facility when it’s complete that the Trust and the community will be rightly proud of.”
The project is part of a £20 million pound investment secured by Rotherham Council to help improve the leisure economy and skills in Rotherham.
Other attractions also benefiting from the Levelling Up funding include Wentworth Woodhouse, Thrybergh Country Park, Rother Valley Country Park, Magna and Skills Street at Gulliver’s Valley.
For further information about Maltby Learning Trust visit www.maltbylearningtrust.com