OAKLANDS College plans to sell off two thirds of its city centre site for housing in a deal worth "millions" to fund new high tech development and expansion at its main campus along Hatfield Road, Smallford, the new principal has revealed.

Between 1,000 and 2,000 students will transfer from the city centre campus to the main Oaklands campus where an enlarged construction department will be sited, if plans being prepared by the college and developer Fairview Homes are passed.

The college plans to retain the triangular front part of its site on St Peter's Road/Hatfield Road close to St Albans centre, selling off the bigger slice on Lemsford Road/Manor Road which contains several older properties no longer used.

Both Oaklands and house builders Fairview will present their joint plans to St Albans Council in January 2002. If planning consent is granted, the college redevelopment programme is expected to take three to four years.

"This really does give us a fantastic opportunity to develop facilities across the college," said new principal Helen Parr, who started two months ago.

She would not reveal how much Fairview is paying for the site, but confirmed "we are talking millions."

The "co-ordinated redevelopment" will encompass all Oaklands college centres in St Albans, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, she said.

At the city centre campus the multi-storey block currently used by construction industry students will be modernised, and a new building built as the college expands its IT facility, art and design to include fashion textiles, performing arts and media studies.

"We hope to develop much more flexible, user-friendly accommodation for students," said Ms Parr. "There will be much more use of modern technology and we'll be introducing more distance learning."

The main Oaklands complex between St Albans and Hatfield, where agricultural courses are run, will see significant investment with buildings modernised, and the large construction department, currently with nearly 1,000 students at the city centre site, will move there.

She also confirmed that leisure courses will continue "for the foreseeable future" at the Harpenden campus, which was threatened with closure, sparking protest action. The college is discussing wider use of the building with community groups.

November 6, 2001 10:30