Plans for £8.5m college expansion set for approval
NECAPlans for a £8.5m engineering building at a college are set for approval.
North Tyneside Council's planning committee has been recommended to approve the Energy Academy expansion, operated by Newcastle College, in Wallsend.
The facility would deliver engineering workshops at the college, which trains people for jobs in the energy sector, including offshore wind and renewable energy.
A report prepared ahead of the committee meeting on 8 April, said the expansion would help local people secure jobs in the industry, while generating business for traders around the college.
"The growth in student numbers will increase activity in the town centre and generate additional footfall and income for local businesses," it said.
The proposed building would be 43.3ft (12.9m) in height, 283.1ft (86.3 m) long and 76.4ft (23.3m) in width.
Two objections were submitted to the Labour-led council with concerns about potential loss of light and a sense of overlooking, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
While council officers acknowledged the concerns, they said the site had significant existing landscaping to mitigate any issues.
Previous North Tyneside Council documents predicted student numbers to treble from about 340 to more than 1,200 over the next five years, due to to the expansion. The multi-million pound funding for the project was approved by the North East Combined Authority in June.