THE work to re-develop a former newspaper office in Worcester is on-track.

Berrows House, the former home of the Worcester News, is being re-developed by the University of Worcester, which plans to use it for teaching medical students.

The building was the home of the paper until 2020, when its operations were moved to London Road.

Over the past few months, the former newspaper office has been partially demolished, with a new structure and metal framework being put in to give the historic building a new lease of life.

A university spokesman provided an update on the works, saying: "The works to refurbish the former Berrows House building into new, outstanding facilities to educate health professionals is progressing well.

"The overwhelming majority of demolition works are now complete, and the installation of structural framing continues.

"The University is hoping that the building will be ready for use in early 2023, when students studying across a range of health courses, including Nursing, Midwifery, Paramedic Science, and those studying on the University’s new Medical degree will have access to new state-of-the-art facilities.

"The University is the major educator of health professionals in the Three Counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, as well as much of Dudley and Halesowen.

"This new facility will enable the University to educate even more of these professionals, playing a key role in ending the chronic shortage of medical and health professionals in the region."

Worcester News agreed the deal to sell the Hylton Road building to the University back in 2019.

The paper had been based at the building since 1965.

Plans for the renovation, drawn up by Midlands-based Glancy Nicholls Architects, include a state-of-the art anatomy laboratory, a suite of GP simulation rooms, and a range of general seminar and teaching rooms.

There will also be offices, break-out spaces for group study and a café.

Low or zero-carbon technologies will be used throughout the building in line with the University’s environmental and sustainability ethos, with the aspiration of achieving RICS SKA Gold, the top environmental accreditation for buildings.