Eric Wright completes £4.5m Wigan UTC project

Preston-based Eric Wright Construction is celebrating the completion of a 10-month project to build the new Wigan University Technical College (UTC).

The £4.5m project took 42 weeks to complete and included the interior refurbishment of Rushton Mill, which had the original purpose of a grain warehouse in the early 1900s.

Work also included the demolition and build of the new three-storey facility, whilst enduring the complex logistic challenges of working on an occupied, constrained site.

Wigan UTC will educate hundreds of local people aged between 14 and 19 years old and will specialise in various disciplines including food production, manufacturing, engineering, green energy and environmental technologies.

Chris Hatherall, principal at Wigan UTC, said: “The facilities are of exceptional quality and will provide fantastic learning environments for the students of Wigan. I’d like to thank Eric Wright Construction and their employees for delivering this superb project on time and to budget.”

Wigan UTC was built using contemporary thinking and design, utilising a modern open plan layout, which enables independent and group study whilst maintaining passive supervision of the students. John Wilson, managing director of Eric Wright Construction added: ‘I am delighted to have delivered such a ground-breaking, unique project which has been so well received by the local community. This was a particularly complex development which enabled us to utilise our project management and logistical skills. I am sure that the students will benefit from having such a great working environment.”