Wiltshire college's £37m scheme hit by LSC cash crisis

A Wiltshire college has become the latest college to cancel plans to build a new campus in the wake of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding debacle, abandoning a £37m scheme.

Wiltshire College Trowbridge, one of four main campuses belonging to Wiltshire College, confirmed in December that is cancelling its plans to redevelop its campus on Bowyers factory site, having lost the financial support of the LSC's national building programme.

The LSC programme, under which the college campus would have been redeveloped, along with the town's museum and the Arc theatre, was put on hold in March after the quango admitted to having overspent on its budget by 150%.

The college, which had not appointed a building contractor, was set to go ahead with planning permission when the LSC withdrew its programme, and is now assessing the potential for a smaller project on the site of the original campus, though no concrete plans have been made.

Director of group communications for Wiltshire College, Stephanie Stephenson, said the college is “looking into what's possible” to enhance the current campus. The college provides higher and further education.