SWINDON College has revealed how it plans to move to a new multi million pound site in North Star in September 2004.

Work will begin on a new £15.5 million campus in April 2003 and it will house all of the college's 2,200 full-time and 9,000 part-time students in one place.

The futuristic plans, drawn up by London architects Shillam and Smith, consist of three buildings that are three and four storeys high.

Swindon College vice principal, Lesley Griffiths, said: "This is a very exciting move for the learners and for the staff.

"Everybody is now involved in working with the architects on the detail.

"This will be a great opportunity to explore new ways of flexible learning for all age groups."

The building will go out to tender to construction companies in November.

The first building block will comprise a central 'heart space' which will be a glazed concourse with all key student facilities such as advice and guidance and the refectory.

Other floors will house the learning resource centre, a traditional library, staff space and laboratories.

The second block will house the School of Art and Design, performing arts spaces and specialist resources such as photography studios.

The third block will house construction, including woodtrades, brickwork and plumbing workshops.

The college is currently negotiating with a developer to sell its Regent Circus site, which will mean the area will get a major facelift.

Regent Circus has long been one of the town's most visited areas, but also one of its ugliest.

It is hoped that demolishing the college could prove to be the catalyst for the regeneration of the area, which may include a new library to replace Swindon's crumbling Central Library.

It has already sold its site at Euclid Street to property developers and has plans to dispose of its Ferndale Road site. When building work starts, the Caretakers House, which stands in the shadow of the present North Star building, will be demolished to make way for the central heart space.