A NEW £6.5m educational centre opens its doors to the public this Saturday, with a family fun day and Metro Radio roadshow.

Derwentside College's campus in Consett has moved from Park Road to a purpose-built facility in the heart of the town, on Front Street.

It is the first major rebuild and relocation of a college in the North-East and is the second largest project of its kind in Britain.

Its 300 staff began the switch from the Park Road site to their new home on August 13.

The five-acre development dominates the Berry Edge Road skyline. Bosses hope it will become a major training centre for the region.

It includes a new centre of engineering enterprise. This features labs for electronics and engineering, along with a high-tech computer design suite.

The site also contains an art studio, science block, leisure complex with refectory and restaurant, computer suites and a hair and beauty salon.

Its fitness suite and sports facilities will be open to the public and there are 200 car parking spaces.

Managers say its service offers easy to access for all. The building was designed with the disabled in mind and has lifts to all floors.

It was built by Shepherd Construction for Dysart Developments, the firm in charge of the Project Genesis scheme to redevelop the site of the old steelworks.

Funding came from the Government's Further Education Funding Council and the college itself.

Derwentside District Council sees it as a boost for the Project Genesis site, which has been criticised in the past for failing to create enough jobs.

Council leader Alex Watson said: "The college has always been an asset to Derwentside and has played a big part in our regeneration strategy. It has fulfilled a need for training and education that has been essential in bringing unemployment in the district to an all-time low."

College principal David Houpt said the centre will be a valuable resource for the entire district and beyond.