A MAJOR milestone in ongoing development of Newton Rigg College was marked on Tuesday with the opening of the Frank Parkinson Building.

The new hub for students studying agriculture, forestry and engineering is part of the £3m investment pledged in 2012 following the involvement of York-based Askham Bryan College.

It follows the opening earlier this year of the state-of-the-art dairy unit at the college's Sewborwens Farm, costing £2.4m.

The Frank Parkinson Building, the college's former Learning Resource Centre, lies at the heart of the campus and includes new teaching accommodation and study rooms on the first floor with the college reception area, offices, the library and study areas on the ground floor.

The refurbishment was supported by the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust (FPAT) as a focus for teaching excellence and to provide an inspirational learning space. The trust was set up from the estate of Frank Parkinson, a Yorkshire engineer noted for his support of higher education and the improvement of British agriculture.

To mark the opening a plaque was unveiled and a rowan tree by FPAT's David Gardner, who said: “What I have noticed is that there's a real buzz about the place, the college is on the way back up, there is some good stuff going on here.

“It's a wonderful time to be coming into agriculture, yes there are difficulties but the future of agriculture has never looked better.”

Mr Gardner spoke of growing demand world-wide for food particularly from the middle classes in China, and the increased interest in how food is produced, all of which presented opportunities for British farmers. “Volatility in the market place is something we have to live with, but it's a buoyant industry and is likely to remain so for many years to come. Agriculture's time has come again.” he added.

As part of the redevelopment programme, work is continuing on the campus removing obsolete inefficient buildings and creating new walkways and green space at the centre of the site. In addition, the Grizedale Building has been refurbished and is the new home for the equine, animal management and countryside and game management departments.