IN three years time, Darlington College of Technology hopes to have a new £27m campus up and running in Yarm Road.

The intention is to sell its Cleveland Avenue base for housing and start from scratch on the factory site now owned by Torrington Engineering. That would enable the college to fulfil its dreams of expansion and improvement for its 15,000 full and part-time students and 500 staff.

Sarah Farley, principal and chief executive, told the D&S Times earlier this year that talks were taking place with the borough council.

She said yesterday that the college had looked at all the available sites in the town and Torrington was the preferred one, despite the need for demolition work.

"An awful lot of work has to be done, but Torrington is the best place at the moment."

"It is the right size for one thing and that was a big consideration. It will give us the opportunity to expand and develop a sports and leisure complex.

"It is still close to residential areas on the north side of town and to the developing business park at Morton Palms and for those reasons it's perfect."

Students already travelled in from the north and east of the town and a study was being made of the potential client groups who would be able to access the new campus.

"There are a lot of issues yet to be resolved and we have brought in independent consultants to work with us and the council, looking at all the implications," she added. Preparing a travel plan would be an important element of its business case.

Coun David Lyonette, cabinet member for development, said the news was an important boost to plans to make Darlington a shop window for the Tees Valley.

"If this goes ahead it will be a tremendous benefit for Darlington, North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley as a whole, having a centre for education and skills on the gateway site."

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