Forth Valley College's plans for a new campus in Alloa have been approved by Clackmannanshire Council.

At a meeting of the council's Planning Committee on Thursday 1st October councillors gave the go-ahead to the new £21 million campus on the site of the old Hawkhill Primary School in the centre of the town.

The development will be the largest investment in a public sector building in the town for decades and the college are expecting to welcome their first students through its doors in August 2011.

Gail Fertacz Associate Principal of Curriculum, Quality and Learning Services who has responsibility for the new campus in Alloa said: "We are delighted that Clackmannanshire Council's Planning Committee have approved our plans for a new Campus in Alloa.

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"This is the culmination of a lot of hard work and we would like to thank everyone involved in helping to get us to this stage. However we are now looking forward the next phase of the development - the demolition of the old Hawkhill Primary School in January 2010 and work starting on the new campus itself on March 25th.

"We will continue to welcome support from Clackmannanshire Council and our partners as well as input from all local residents and environmental agencies and are excited at the prospect of the new Forth Valley College campus taking its place upon the Alloa skyline," she said.

Councillor George Matchett, Portfolio Holder for Inclusion, said: "This new college building is good news for Alloa, good news for Clackmannanshire and beyond. Having 600 staff and students in Alloa town centre will have a positive impact on local shops and other businesses.

"This new site has excellent links to public transport and I'm sure staff and students will not need much persuasion to use the train, bus or cycle ways to get to the new campus.

"This new college will compliment the three new secondary schools we have in the county and bring further education in the county into the 21st century."

(GK/BMcC)