FINAL flourishes are all that is needed to finish a flagship building to be proud of at a Northwich college.

The Guardian has been given an exclusive guided tour of the new £3.5million arts and creative media building at Mid-Cheshire College, which will be welcoming students in September.

The contemporary purpose-built structure, filled with light airy rooms and exhibition spaces, fully-equipped ceramics rooms and multimedia suites, is the first stage of a massive £45million rebuild of the college’s Hartford campus.

Principal John Reilly said: “This really is an excellent, modern building, with first-rate facilities for creative arts teaching.

“As you walk around, you are struck by the amount of natural light which floods into the rooms.

“Staff are currently preparing the building for the new academic year, ensuring that all of the walls and corridors celebrate the creative work of past students.

“We can’t wait to welcome our new intake of students in September.”

The new building, part funded by the Learning and Skills Council, has taken 12 months to build and is one of the greenest buildings in Vale Royal – it boasts a bank of photo-voltaic cells on the roof which draw energy from the sun and generate 10 per cent of the building’s energy requirements.

Art and design, graphic design, multimedia, ceramics, life drawing, painting and a new creative and media diploma will be among the subjects taught in the new building.

London Road studios will be retained by the college for photography and fashion.

The next stage of the five-year redevelopment programme will be the demolition of the former art block and the construction of a technology facility to house engineering, motor vehicle, electrical installation, construction and plumbing.

Mr Reilly said: “Over the past six years we have worked hard to transform Mid-Cheshire College into an outstanding organisation.

“We will now create a new campus at Hartford which matches our ambitions for the college.”