A new £19.3 million training facility is taking shape in Bradford.
Bradford College is behind the Junction Mills development, a four-storey building on Thornton Road that will support up to 650 students and specialise in automotive, digital, and engineering skills when it opens in 2026.
A topping-out ceremony was held on-site to mark the completion of the building’s highest point, with governors, guests, project staff and Level 2 Motor Vehicle students in attendance.
Chris Malish, vice principal at Bradford College, helped lay the roof ballast during the event.
Dan Marsh, project manager at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “It was fantastic to provide an update to project stakeholders at such a significant point in the project.
(L-R) Bradford College Head of Engineering & Motor Vehicle Stephen Smith, Head of Projects Pamela Sheldon, and Vice Principal Chris Malish assist with the laying of a roof ballast at the new Junction Mills building(Image: Morgan Sindall Construction )
“Bradford College and Morgan Sindall have formed an excellent relationship through working tirelessly in collaboration to get this far, and we intend to cement this by bringing the project to a close on time, on budget, and with excellent quality.”
Funded by £17.8 million from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund and a £1.5 million contribution from the college, the facility will replace the Bowling Back Lane site for the Automotive and Digital Engineering Department.
Once complete, it will offer training in electric and hybrid vehicles and advanced manufacturing.
Stephen Smith, head of engineering and motor vehicle at Bradford College, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to see our new hi-tech home for Motor Vehicle reaching this exciting topping-off milestone.
“This is a huge step forward for both staff and students, and I can’t wait to see the opportunities it creates.”
The project has earned Morgan Sindall’s platinum standard for carbon savings, the first in Yorkshire, with 182 tonnes of carbon saved so far—equivalent to heating 67 UK homes for a year.
The next phase of construction will include making the building watertight, installing windows, completing the steel framing system, and continuing with brickwork.
Barbara Mangan, an independent governor at Bradford College, said: “Even though Junction Mills is still a skeleton structure, the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the tour team, who really brought it to life.
“I can’t wait to have another tour once it is kitted out and ready to welcome the first students.”
The Junction Mills project is part of the college’s wider estates strategy following nearly £32 million in funding secured over the last two years, which also includes the refurbished Garden Mills building for higher education STEM students, which opened in 2024.
