A NEW building for young people with learning disabilities has been opened at Dilton Marsh’s Fairfield Farm College by Wiltshire Council leader Jane Scott.

The building is the final phase of a five-part plan which began in 2009 and has cost more than £3m.

College principal Dr Tina Pagett said: “It was absolutely great having Jane Scott here. Although she knew the council had worked with us for many years, she’d never been to visit before and she was impressed with the building and the campus.

“I think she realised the provision of learning that we have here for disabled young people.

“Our ambassador Liam Shepard is a student at the college but spends one day a week working in the post room at Wiltshire Council because his dream is to be a postmaster.

“Jane has witnessed firsthand how he’s grown and developed at the council and he was desperate for her to come and look around.”

The farm was created in 1975 by Ken and Ruth Hester to give local youngsters with learning difficulties the chance to gain practical experience and officially opened as a college in 1992.

The new building, designed by Hetreed Ross Architects and built by Ken Biggs Contractors, consists of five teaching rooms, a medical room and counselling rooms.

It is the latest addition to the college on High Street – a new cafe and shop and a large learning suite have also been added in recent years.

Next the college wants to create a multi-use games area for its 42 students.

Dr Pagett added: “At the minute there are no sport facilities but recent research has shown the huge benefits that sport provides young people with learning disabilities and we’ve applied to Sport England for funding.

“If successful we would get £75,000 of the £130,000 needed so we would have to raise the rest ourselves.”