Work to create a new multi-million pound education and training base in Morley is underway.
Bermar Building Co Ltd has been appointed by Leeds City Council to convert the former St Mary’s in the Wood church hall, on Commercial Street, into Morley Learning and Skills Centre.
Run by the college, the new facility will be focused on helping adults gain new and improved skills, including in growth sectors like technology and innovation, to boost their employability and career prospects
A Grade II Listed building, the venue was bought by the council in 2023 using money from the £24.3m Morley Town Deal grant, awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The centre will offer courses spanning a range of subjects including: coding, virtual reality, 2D printing, general IT skills, English and maths
Our Director of Curriculum for Adults, Jo Dye, said: “We and our partners, Leeds City Council, have great plans for Morley and know that this centre will help so many people gain the training and education they, and local businesses, need.
“Major projects like this always involve overcoming challenges; we cleared the funding hurdle and now, with the appointment of Bermar Building Co Ltd as the contractor, we have reached another significant milestone.
“With the building work now underway, residents can look forward to seeing this exciting development, which will breathe new life into a much-loved former church hall in the heart of Morley, start to take shape.
“The result will be a centre that offers flexible learning opportunities, designed to fit around busy lives, access to digital facilities and training for all.”
The council’s Deputy Leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Jonathan Pryor, said: “Morley Town Deal consultations have consistently shown the ambition of Morley people to be able to access high-quality adult learning and upskilling opportunities locally.
“With its focus on delivering technology-based learning, the opening of the new centre will deliver on those ambitions and help many generations of people to thrive in the future.”
Work on the building is expected to be completed by autumn 2026.
Chair of the Morley Town Deal board, Gerald Jennings, said: “The board has worked hard to develop a skills agenda that is both aspiring in its goals and sustainable in helping to future-proof the town’s workforce and provide lasting opportunities.
“This centre, with its wide range of education and upskilling opportunities, is a legacy the Town Deal can be proud of, as it will provide people with opportunities for generations to come.”
The development will include nods to the building’s heritage as a place of worship, with a commemorative plaque being prepared and the original pews set to be reinstalled after they are restored by our RE: Workshop, which focuses on creative upcycling.
Managing Director of Bermar Building Co Ltd, Rob Moon, added: “As a company that specialises in restoring heritage buildings, it is exciting to be able to develop such a forward-looking resource for the people of Morley, while also retaining the character and heritage of a building that has been a part of the community for over 100 years.”
Find out more
More details about a multi-million pound project to transform a historic building into an adult skills hub will be shared in Morley this month.
The college and Leeds City Council are aiming to turn the former St Mary’s in the Wood church hall into Morley Learning and Skills Centre.
The Grade II listed building, on Commercial Street, was purchased by the council last year using part of the £24.3 million Morley Towns Fund* grant. The plan is to convert the interior to create a new facility that will focus on providing training to boost the skills of adults, particularly in emerging and new technologies.
A full planning application is due to be submitted soon, but in the meantime residents can learn more at a public information session that will be held at Morley Town Hall from 4pm to 7pm on Wednesday 29 May.
Our Director of Adult Curriculum, Jo Dye, said: “This exciting venture is all about helping local people gain the skills they need to maximise their potential, through a joint effort by the college and the council, backed by the Morley Town Deal.
“We have been talking to residents and local businesses to hear exactly what kinds of training would be most beneficial, and that will continue as the project progresses so we can tailor our offer accordingly.
“Our consultation work so far has shown that a clear majority of people would welcome this facility, and that there is a strong local need for the technology-focused skills that are so important across so many jobs and sectors.
“We look forward to showing members of the public more details, and hearing their opinions, when we display our plans at the town hall.”
The plans include the addition of ramps and a lift, to make the former Sunday school building – which dates back to 1900 – fully accessible. A modern ‘learning pod’ is also being proposed for the main hall.
The centre will run business and management courses along with English and maths classes, as well as its digital training, to ensure it offers something to a broad spectrum of learners.
An impression of how the interior of the new centre will look
Its technology courses, meanwhile, will cover everything from baseline IT skills to coding and virtual reality.
Morley Town Deal Board Chair, Gerald Jennings, added: “We are excited to be working with Leeds City College and Leeds City Council to deliver this learning and skills centre project, which will be a game changer for Morley.
“A major ambition of the Town Deal’s work is to build skills and grow future opportunities. Creating the right educational offer in Morley is therefore critical to achieving that ambition. I am delighted that plans for the Morley-based Learning and Skills Centre are progressing apace, and to be a part of something that will benefit the town and its people for many generations to come.”
The college and council are hoping to open Morley Learning and Skills Centre in late 2025.
*The Towns Fund is part of the government’s national Levelling Up policy.
Find out more