GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE GROWTH DEAL

1. GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE GROWTH DEAL • Project Summary • This project represents the next phase of the relocation of the RiseholmeCollege to a new specialist land-based campus, it will include the provision of a: • Food Technology Centre – to provide food businesses with access to technical equipment, support services and training courses to support their growth and development. • Precision Agriculture Centre - to provide a regional centre of expertise for the development of new technologies, skills and knowledge which are needed to make farming practices more sustainable and minimise the impact on the environment; • Animal Behaviour Centre – to be equipped to study different animal responses to a range of stimuli • Wildlife and Countryside Facility - would provide housing for a wide range of native and exotic animal species and include outdoor areas to recreate suitable natural habitats • Equine Science Centre -to include facilities for the schooling of horses and the development of riding skills. The Centre will also provide facilities to study veterinary aspects of equine science and therapies. • Sports Science and Fitness Centre – tolink health and fitness aspects into new programmes in Food Science, Agriculture and Human Nutrition that are being developed with international partners • The primary impact of this project will be to sustain and grow land-based education in Lincolnshire . This recognises the importance of the associated industries to the local economy and the subsequent need to provide businesses with the skills they need to remain competitive and grow their businesses. Bishop Burton has a national reputation for quality and is the only college in the UK to hold Centre of Vocational Excellence status in both Agriculture and Equine. The new facility will be operational in 2016 and is expected to engage over 450 local businesses in skills training within two years. The project will also increase the number of learners, with over 800 students on campus. This includes new learning opportunities for local residents that are not currently in education, training or employment and will offer a number of new apprenticeship and trainee programmes to link learners into local industries. • Mark Tinsley, Lead Board Member for Agri-food on the Greater Lincolnshire LEP said; “The relocation and expansion of the specialist campus for land-based education in Lincolnshire will ensure that the county remains at the forefront in the development of new skills and innovative technologies in the agri-food sector and its many associated industries. This project will provide an exciting range of new learning opportunities for people looking to study and work across our area. It will also provide local businesses with the people and skills they need to grow, create new jobs and access new market opportunities across the world.” • Jeanette Dawson, OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Bishop Burton College, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have obtained funding for Phase 2 of our new Lincolnshire campus.  The development reaffirms our commitment to supporting the land based industry in the county and beyond.  The new specialist centres based at the showground site will engender close links with various rural business sectors, securing a bright future for Lincolnshire’s land based industries and providing a workforce ready for the challenges the sector faces.  It is an exciting time to be involved in the industry, there is a surge of innovation and new technology, and Bishop Burton’s Riseholme campus will put Lincolnshire at the centre of that innovation and our students in the best position to contribute to the rural economy.” Contacts for further information: Stephen Kelly, Finance Director, Bishop Burton College Email: stephen.kelly@bishopburton.ac.uk Tel: 01964 553008 Greater Lincolnshire LEP Email: GLLEPsecretariat@lincolnshire.gov.uk Tel: 01522 550540