Stockport College – Lyme Building (Phase 2)
Project Overview Barlows was appointed to deliver the full MEP design and installation for the new Lyme Building at Stockport College, working in close partnership with our long-standing client, Seddon Construction.
This flagship £23–25 million redevelopment transformed the college’s Wellington Road campus, with the Lyme Building serving as the new front-of-house facility. The three-storey, approximately 3,000 m² building was constructed on a live campus site adjacent to the busy A6, replacing a former theatre building.
Key Features
- Main reception and welcoming entrance
- State-of-the-art hair, beauty, and nail salons (including two hair salons and two beauty salons)
- Modern science laboratories
- Dedicated business centre
- Costa Coffee lounge
- Student Services hub
- Learning resource centre
- Foundation learning classrooms
These industry-standard facilities support a wide range of vocational and further education programmes, providing students with hands-on, real-world training environments.
Challenges and Delivery The project demanded meticulous planning due to its location on an operational college campus. New incoming services were routed from the adjacent Vernon Tower building, requiring careful coordination to avoid disruption.
Key challenges included:
- Maintaining a safe environment for students and staff at all times
- Managing complex logistics and site access
- Adhering to an extremely tight programme
Through proactive programming, close collaboration with Seddon, and robust health & safety measures, Barlows successfully completed the MEP works on time and within budget.
Outcome The Lyme Building was officially opened as part of the wider campus redevelopment, significantly enhancing the student experience and supporting Stockport College’s commitment to high-quality, career-focused education. This successful delivery reinforces Barlows’ expertise in delivering complex MEP solutions within live educational environments.
Client: Seddon Construction Location: Wellington Road, Stockport Building Size: ~3,000 m², three storeys Completion: On time and on budget



