The first phase of £9 million development works at Wiltshire College & University Centre’s specialist land-based campus is underway.

The former animal centre and outdoor enclosures at Lackham have been demolished to make way for modern, industry-standard facilities, which are currently under construction.

Work began in September and has seen former classrooms and science labs transformed into an impressive exotic centre featuring large vivaria, which will house reptiles, birds and fish.

The development forms part of £22 million investment by Swindon and Wilshire Local Enterprise Partnership into the Salisbury and Lackham campuses to meet the rural skills requirements of the region for the future.

The project at Lackham, has already seen the transformation of the manor house into a higher education teaching centre, enabling the college to grow its university level offering over the next two years to include degrees in environmental science and sustainability and HND’s in agri-tech and agri-business management.

It will also see the construction of an agri-tech hub, work for which starts this month and a state-of-the-art Robotic Dairy that will enhance training, creating farmers for the future and provide equipment to increase skills in the industry nationwide.

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