Aerial view of LCB’s new CTEC building from south west (image courtesy of Fuse Studios).

LCB to receive over £919k in Government funding for renovations

Leeds College of Building (LCB) is one of 18 colleges in Yorkshire and the Humber set to benefit from government funding for essential estates and building improvements.

In a recent announcement, it was confirmed that LCB will receive £919,871 from the FE College Condition Allocation (FECCA) fund.

This latest £30 million package from the Government will be distributed between institutions over the summer, ranging from £6,000 for smaller institutions to £7 million for large college groups for the next academic year.

Colleges have the flexibility to decide how to spend the funding. LCB will use its allocation towards the renovation of a newly acquiredbuilding adjacent to its North Street Campus. The 5,000 m2 site on Melbourne Street increases the size of LCB’s estate by a third, marking a significant investment in the college’s future growth.

LCB was named one of only 10 Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTEC) across England for the 2025 -2026 academic year. LCB’s new site will support the CTEC mission of training up to 40,000 more people in high-demand trades by 2029 to tackle construction skills shortages.

View of LCB’s new CTEC building from Byron Street (image courtesy of Fuse Studios).

LCB Vice Principal, Rob Holmes, said:

“We’re delighted that this funding brings us a step closer to renovating our newly acquired CTEC building, helping us address critical regional skills gaps. This investment is key to creating a specialist training environment in priority areas such as infrastructure, sustainability, and groundwork.

“As one of the country’s only Construction Technical Excellence Colleges, we play a vital role in strengthening the workforce that will keep both the construction industry and the wider economy moving forward. FECCA funding will enable us to develop the facilities needed to achieve this.”

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith added:

“The young people in these colleges are the engineers, bricklayers and designers of the future, and they and the dedicated staff teaching them deserve the best possible environment to learn and succeed.

“This £30 million investment will repair and modernise facilities across all 18 colleges in Yorkshire and the Humber, giving young people the spaces they need to build the skills they need for good careers, helping to drive economic growth.”

The 2026/2027 FECCA fund allocation has been boosted by £5 million since last year, when it was introduced in response to colleges calling for a reliable annual allocation to plan and maintain their estates. LCB used 2025/2026 funding to improve the facades of its North Street Campus and renovate the college refectory facilities.

The latest funding is part of a £1.7 billion investment from the Government’s Industrial Strategy for colleges to modernise buildings by 2030.

Find out more about the future of LCB’s North Street Campus here.

 

Image caption (top of page): Aerial view of LCB’s new CTEC building from south west (image courtesy of Fuse Studios).