Multi million pound new College is progressing exactly according to plan – and the site is about to be turned into a hive of activity. Huge 50ft piledrivers have moved onto the site of the new Hartlepool College of Further Education to lay the foundations for the new four – storey building.

They will drill the holes into which concrete will be poured, and they will become the supports for the whole of the building.

Hundreds of support holes will be drilled on the site to create the foundation work in a project which will last for around two weeks.  

Once that is completed, the steelwork for the new building will begin to take shape – and that’s when the number of workmen on site will rocket.

“We will see up to 300 people on the site at any one time, “said assistant Principal Andy Steel.

“The main thing is that we are on schedule with the work. The work has started on time and very shortly we will see the steelwork.

“It will mean that the physical structure of the building will start to take shape and that’s when we will see the scale and size of the project”.

He said apprentices from the College would be helping to work on the project in a deal struck with the main contractors Miller Construction and added: “From around April, we will see an influx of workers on the site”.

Hartlepool College is one of only 12 colleges nationwide that has been chosen to proceed with their development which is expected to be completed to be next year.

The college is being redeveloped in a £52m project.