Gateway College

Under a Learning and Skills Council framework, a plan was developed to move the existing Gateway College from its original city centre location to a new, purpose-built and sustainable structure on the outskirts of Leicester. The project was designated to be funded through the sale of three sites including the college's sports pitches, but when the sale fell through in early 2008, cost consultant and employers' agent Sense (Mace's cost consultancy business) worked alongside the client's project manager and college principal to identify and obtain alternative funding. Negotiations with the LSC culminated in an agreement that it would underwrite the sale of the sports pitches, thus enabling work to start on the new college.

Initially commissioned to complete a feasibility study assessing the viability of raising capital for the project through the sale of retained sites, Sense also managed planning issues so that the LSC was able to approve the planning application. Stakeholder liaison was critical to the development of a scheme that satisfied all parties, from the local education authority and the LSC to the local authority and English Sports Council. Throughout the construction process, Sense reviewed alternative specification solutions to the design to ensure the new college was delivered within the tight budgetary constraints. Spanning eight years from start to finish, successful completion of the Gateway College project is a testament to the determination and persistence of all parties involved.