Kempston Calling

Shiny new gateway to town

An upgrade to the look of Cauldwell Street, a gateway to the town centre, is nearing completion with the final cladding panel laid on the Centre of Modern Construction (CMC) building at Bedford College.

Doing the honours on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, was the Chief Executive of The Bedford College Group Ian Pryce CBE, Neil Hart of SEMLEP and Vanessa Connolly of the Connolly Foundation.

The £4.3 Million building has been made possible by funding via SEMLEP of £2.9 Million. In addition £750,000 was donated by the Connolly Foundation towards the very latest construction equipment inside the building.

The exterior of the CMC complements the look of the Brundtland Building on Cauldwell Street, itself a pioneering example of eco-retro fitting.

The stylish silver and grey colour scheme is highlighted across the Cauldwell Street/Riverside campus which blends one of the very oldest buildings in Bedford* with the latest in modern, green construction techniques.

The finale will be the external refurbishment of the 1950s Tower Block so it blends in the with riverside skyline.

*College House on the corner of Cauldwell Street and St Mary’s is said to be the oldest brick-built building in Bedford. Its style was replicated in the design of the new Stansfeld Building which forms part of the Eastern frontage of the college campus.