Work on a new multi-million pound sports centre, set to take Hartpury students to the next level of sporting success, has begun.

It’s the biggest investment in Hartpury’s recent history. The work will more than double in size the college and university centre’s current sports facility.

The new development, managed by F3GROUP, will cost £7.6 million and give students and teaching staff access to improved facilities, including a new sports hall.

Students studying on sports-related degrees and college courses will benefit from access to new physiotherapy treatment rooms and therapy suites. The building will also boast a human performance laboratory and a biomechanics area, as well as new changing rooms.

Russell Marchant, Hartpury’s Principal, said: “This project is a huge investment for us but it’s an extremely important one as well. It’s vital that we provide the best possible learning environment for our students and researchers, a big part of that is giving them access to top-level facilities. This new development will do exactly that.”

Former Hartpury student and current Gloucester rugby star Ross Moriarty, Hartpury students and Marchant as well as F3GROUP’s Managing Director Keith Taylor marked the start of the work at a breaking ground ceremony. The work is expected to be completed in September 2018 ready for the 2018-19 academic year.

The development will also be a boost to the local economy with all suppliers being selected from the surrounding area.