Black Mountains College

The Options Appraisal will explore how the college will work in practice, the space requirements for buildings and establish the outline development costs involved.

The Options Appraisal will require a deep engagement with stakeholders and the community to imagine the impact and opportunities of transforming Talgarth into a site of learning. This will involve several tasks:

An assessment of how much learning can be done outside the classroom: in essence, a comprehensive mapping of the possible sites of learning in the community – from workshops to farms, energy generation, woodland trusts, restaurants, craftspeople, etc.
An analysis of what learning opportunities exist in developing particular site options for use by the college (apprenticeships and vocational skills).
A master-planning of the community of Talgarth to examine existing infrastructure, links, services and how the college might constructively fit within and enhance existing provision.
A cost/benefit comparison of different site options for the teaching facilities required alongside administration and accommodation.
A report on all of the above.

The scoping work will be an opportunity and platform for drawing together the experiences, resources and talent of the region with the potential to build something of national and international significance.