Go-ahead for £11m ‘energy school’

The Humber University Technology College, which could eventually take 600 14 to 19-year-olds, will be built on the former Scunthorpe Leisure centre site in Church Square. It is expected to take students from a wide area including the East Riding and South Yorkshire and give them skills they need for careers in engineering and renewables, as well as a grounding in traditional curriculum subjects.

Council leader Liz Redfern said it was “further evidence of the confidence the Government has in helping transform the whole of the Humber region”, following last month’s decision to approve the £450m marine energy park at North Killingholme.

Asked whether she remained confident after Able UK’s plans were this week challenged by Associated British Ports, which owns a small triangle of land on the site, she said: “I am sure Able will continue to work very hard and will deliver what they set out to deliver.”

The board overseeing the UTC will include partners from Tata Steel, Centrica Storage, Total Lindsey Oil Refinery, Able UK and the University of Hull.

Deputy director of the Knowledge Exchange at Hull University Michelle Watson said there were already businesses such as Tata Steel that needed graduates with the right skills now.

She said: “Because there is so much news about exciting developments, people forget there are a lot of exciting developments here already.”

She said parents liked the direct involvement of key employers with the curriculum. “They think that is a real asset and the involvement of the university gives them that academic rigour. They think that combination gives their children the best future and access to great opportunities in the Humber.”