Nelson College London take over former Christ Church campus in Broadstairs with Roostys Bakery opening second venue on site

The Broadstairs campus

The former Christ Church University campus at Broadstairs has been taken over by Nelson College London, with popular Ramsgate bakery Roostys opening its second venue at the site on Monday (May 29).

The campus was closed to students from September 2018 as the university gradually relocated courses to Canterbury as part of its 10 to 15-year Estate Master Plan and £150million investment in new buildings and facilities in the city.

The Broadstairs campus was created in 2000 to provide access to higher education for local people. It had over 800 students from the area studying there at the start of 2018.

The freehold for the campus was marketed by Savills

In 2018 the site was mooted by MP Sir Roger Gale as a potential site for a new ‘medical school.’  Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group also confirmed  it was one of the potential sites being looked at for a ‘super surgery’.

Last November former student accommodation on the site was used briefly for people seeking asylum.

The site was being marketed by Savills. And education purposes now look set to continue with the new owner being Nelson College London.

The independent college was founded in 2009 and began operating in the London Borough of Redbridge.

Currently, the College offers teaching for Pearson Higher National Diplomas in Business and in Hospitality Management, as well as Foundation Degrees, BA (Hons) one-year “Top-Up”, and MA degrees in International Business and Hospitality Management courses validated by London Metropolitan University.

Nelson College London  has two other campus locations in Ilford and Gants Hill. The college has already formed relationships in Thanet and worked with Cliftonville Cultural Space earlier this year in a celebration of International Roma Day on April 8th.

Roostys is run by Andy and Hanna Roost. The family took over the former Buttercups bakery in Belmont Road in 2019. The shop has been a bakery since 1938.

Tommy, Hanna, Andy, Rose and staff member Haley at Roostys in Ramsgate in 2019 Photo Dave Stillman

The move to the campus site in Northwood Road is a huge expansion. The site offers a function room, over 2,100 square feet, parking and a bar on top of the café and kitchens.

The Roostys Bakery soft opening is on Bank Holiday Monday, 11am to 2pm. There will be a bouncy castle, music, free snacks and tea (whilst stocks last). The bakery will officially open the following morning.

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