A MAJOR new development to build a £3.9 million creative and performing arts centre at a South Lakeland college is entering its final phase.

The creation of the centre off Wildman Street is part of Kendal Colleges' ambitious modernisation programme of its two campuses in town.

When work is completed in January 2016, the Ofsted 'outstanding' rated college will have three dedicated exhibition venues, ample storage and state-of-the-art production facilities.

The two-storey development, which has been in the pipeline for 10 years, will include workshops for photography, fine art, lighting and sound, additional dance studios and performing arts space and an art gallery.

It will add to the additional creative and performing art spaces used by the college at the Allen Building on Sandes Avenue, The Box Theatre and the Kendal Museum - cementing the college's place among the top three academic facilities of its kind in the country, according to inspectors.

Principal Graham Wilkinson said: "The project is a dream come true for Kendal College. The funding has allowed us to complete an ambitious modernisation programme, which will enable our students across both campuses to enjoy modern buildings with state-of-the-art facilities.

"The new studios and exhibition spaces will be designed to blend in beautifully with the current campus facilities."

The construction of the Wildman Street studios alone costs £2.9m but it ties in with a further £1m revamp of the existing Allen Building which has already benefitted from extensive sound-proofing, a new sound recording studio and music editing suite, new photography studios, dark room and a cafe.

Matt Burke, Head of School for Creative and Performing Arts, said: "This is the culmination of many years of hard work from first beginning to expand in 2000. It has taken this amount of time to realise the facility we wanted. We're able to be inventive as managers and this rubs off on the students.

"This development makes the whole campus more functional. Critically, it will boost progression rates into higher education and employment."

The final brick has not yet been laid but Mr Burke is already looking to what the future may hold.

"The next thing we want to do is restore further education provision," he said. "We didn't have the space to do that but once the Wildman Street Studios are completed we can offer it for film, photography, fashion and music. We punch above our weight here in Kendal."