Up to 500 students will be recruited to Thornton site during next five years at University of Chester campus

Mar 7 2013 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

RECRUITMENT of up to 500 students to the Thornton site will take place in the next five years.

On a visit to the sprawling site on Friday, the minister for universities and science, David Willetts, said the Thornton faculty is fit for the future of both education and business.

He said: “There is a sea change in the business landscape. Big companies don’t want to have such large research and development facilities, they want to have links to universities.

“I couldn’t think of a better outcome than for it to become a research park as part of the University of Chester.

“It’s incredibly enlightened of Shell to pass this facility over in this state and good that the university has the guts and gumption to take it on.

“Instead of having academics in ivory towers detached from commercial reality, we have a hi-tech institution.

“This is a centre with a great history and it’s now going to turn a new page.”

This week’s news is the result of many months of talks between all the parties involved.