A NEW £1.5 million sports centre for New College is set to be given the go ahead by Swindon Council.

Councillors at tonight's planning meeting are expected to give the project the green light.

The hall will be built alongside the college's new £11 million campus that is set to open in January.

Outline planning permission has already been granted and councillors must now agree on the final details.

Principal Graham Taylor said: "We are hoping the planning meeting will go without a hitch as we want to open it by August.

"We are very excited because we are a centre of excellence for sports, a lot of our students study sports courses and even more take part in sport here.

"The new centre will be open to the community and groups as well so it certainly isn't just the students who will benefit."

The building will house a sports hall the size of four badminton courts, a fully equipped gym, fitness suite and changing rooms.

The Government's Learning and Skills Council has agreed to a £500,000 grant, with the remaining £1 million funded by the college.

The original plans raised objections from both the landscape and environmental health officers but the College has now made adjustments that it hopes will be approved.

The council's environmental health officer believed the building was too close to neighbouring homes and wanted to know predicted noise levels. The college is also in negotiations with the council to convert part of an adjacent sports field into an all-weather pitch.

Meanwhile New College's £11 million new building is nearing completion and within budget.

The new main building will be handed over on December 16 and staff and students will begin moving in on January 6.