By Matt Scorer

Hope Valley College underwent a face lift over the summer with a new roof and several improvements to make the College more accessible. 

Site Manager Stuart Eaton said: "The old roof was in desperate need of repair and whilst the building work took longer than expected we now have a roof which won't leak in the rain. Additionally the repairs have drastically improved the insulation bringing it in line with current building regulations. This will make class room conditions much more comfortable and significantly reduce our energy bills."

The work also saw the installation of 101 new roof lights all of which are triple skinned and thermally efficient. The work is expected to make the College's a more environmentally friendly building.

The front of the school has also undergone work to make it more accessible to wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties.

The approaches to the College have been reworked to reduce the gradient of pathways from all directions.

Additionally the previous set of double doors have been replaced with automatic opening sliding doors, a massive improvement to accessibility and with the added benefit of making the front of College look great.

Principal Bernie Hunter said: "The work has majorly improved aspects of the building that were in desperate need of repair. It is essential that we make it as easy as possible for everybody to access the College and the work has certainly made us more accessible to those who have walking difficulties. Now not only do we have a more comfortable building we are also more accommodating and accessible to more people from within the community."