A £45 MILLION campus is to be developed on the existing Canterbury College site, it has been announced.

The investment will be the largest of its kind in any further education facility in the country.

The project follows the college’s decision to pull out of the troubled Nackington Road scheme, which locked it in a planning row for nearly five years.

Principal Geoff Terry said the college corporation had now “grasped the nettle” and decided to redevelop instead of relocate. But the result, he promised, would be a state-of-the-art educational facility of which the city could be proud.

He said: “We are about to make our formal application to the Learning and Skills Council but have been told the funding is available for us. We have already had informal discussions with the city council but will be producing a development brief and, of course, consulting widely with the local community.

“It will have to be a phased development and a plan will be drawn up to minimise disruption, although in-evitably there will be some.”

The college has been anxious to create better facilities for its 2,600 full-time students for many years. But its plan for a 50-acre campus off Nackington Road was criticised by residents and conservationists.

Although far more restricted on its existing site, the redevelopment will result in a 50 per cent increase in accommodation. Student numbers are also expected to rise to 3,000.

Nick Evans Architects has been taken on to produce the plans.

The designers are working on a unique street-like layout at the rear of the new main building which will have “front of house” hairdressing and travel shops and restaurant with training facilities behind. Other features will include a new theatre and sports centre - both available for community use.

If the planning process goes smoothly, work could start on site in September next year, and be completed in the autumn of 2007.