McPhillips signs off on £9m Telford college development
Redeveloped former council offices in Shropshire will be ready to welcome their first students in September, after the building was handed over to Telford College this week.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s four-storey former former administrative hub building at Addenbrooke House had lain empty since the local authority quit the building for a purpose built civic centre in Southwater in 2022.
The site will now become an A-level sixth form hub for the town’s college learners when it welcomes its first cohort later this year, around 18 months after Shropshire-based contractors McPhillips started work on site.
The building forms part of the town’s flagship £200m Station Quarter development, representing the Wellington-based college’s first ever campus in the centre of Telford.
Harper Adams University also began teaching university-level courses from the next door building, a purpose-built business and learning campus called The Quad, in late 2024.
Chris Walker, building director for McPhillips, said the project “meant a great deal” to the firm, which is based around three miles away in Hortonwood.
Work began at Telford 6th in February 2025. Credit: Place Midlands
“More than 75 per cent of our directly-employed workforce live within 20 miles of our Telford base, so it really is a local project, built by local people, for local people,” he said.
“The completion of it represents more than just a building transformation, it’s a stepping stone for local education and opportunity and we wish Telford 6th every success when the doors open to students this coming September.”
The redevelopment has included the replacement of the building’s entire facade with a brick-tipped design, with new facilities including science labs for physics, biology and chemistry, a drama studio, arts studio, and a library.
Meanwhile, the college has invested around £1m in IT equipment, including 25 large digital interactive screens, 240 laptops, 40 wi-fi access points, and £350,000 on furniture – a move it said would give the town’s A-Level students the “very best start”.
The £9m scheme has been funded by Telford & Wrekin Council, with leader Cllr Lee Carter describing the completion of the project as excellent news for the borough – and a boost for Station Quarter.
“It complements the other Station Quarter developments which have been completed, or are rapidly taking shape, including The Quad, new residential apartments and a Hampton by Hilton hotel,” he said.
“We are committed to providing the best education, training and skills opportunities for local people and creating quality job opportunities and have worked in partnership with Telford College to bring this exciting project to fruition.
“Investing in Telford and Wrekin is quite literally laying foundations for the future, creating opportunities to learn new skills, secure great jobs, enjoy top cultural activities and live in an attractive place.”
