THE PRINCIPAL of Newton Rigg College is to step down after five years at the helm.

Wes Johnson will move to take up the role of Principal of Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC), where current Principal David Wood recently announced his intention to retire in 2017.

Mr Johnson joined Newton Rigg College in 2012, following the Penrith-based college's acquisition by Askham Bryan College, becoming Campus Principal, Cumbria and North East in August 2014.

Following substantial investment in Newton Rigg by the Yorkshire-based college, and under Mr Johnson's leadership, student numbers have grown dramatically from 350 in 2012 to today's figure of around 1,000.

Mr Johnson will leave Newton Rigg in spring 2017.

Anthony Alton, Chair of Governors said: “Wes has played a pivotal role in making the initial vision a reality and in particular in re-establishing its reputation at the heart of agriculture in Cumbria. Newton Rigg is ideally placed to build on this as we look to appoint a successor. We wish Wes well as he embarks on the next stage of his career.”

Over the last five years, improvements to the college include building a state of the art £3m dairy unit at the home farm, updating existing buildings on the main campus including The Frank Parkinson Building which opened in March 2014, a new equestrian centre and work is now nearing completion for a new Sheep Husbandry Centre at the college's hill farm, Low Beckside.

Mr Johnson commented: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Newton Rigg and in particular seeing the college re-connected with the Cumbrian farming community so the county now has the educational opportunities it deserves. It has also been a pleasure to see the subsequent growth in student numbers, the on-going improvements to the farms and the establishing of the National Centre for the Uplands.

"The support of a strong team has been very important in helping to make this happen and I have no doubt that Newton Rigg will continue to go from strength to strength."