The business case for East Renfrewshire College has been given the green light after councillors voted 12 to eight in its favour at last week's full council meeting.

They've given the directors of environment and finance the go-ahead to take forward the design of the building and asked them to work on detailed operational and financial plans. Councillors also approved £7.8m of capital funding, in principle, and subject to approval of the council’s capital fund for 2010/11 onwards in February 2010.

Now the council, working with Reid Kerr, Cardonald, Langside and James Watt Colleges, plans to take the project forward. The college centre includes a replacement library for Barrhead, a conference centre and a business and employment zone, and is the first further education centre of its kind in Scotland.

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If capital funding is agreed in February 2010 the anticipated opening date is September 2010.

East Renfrewshire Council Leader Jim Fletcher said: "The college is an integral part of the Better Barrhead regeneration drive and will serve all the people of East Renfrewshire. Experienced consultants have ascertained demand for the facility as have our own education department and the principals of the colleges, who are committed to the project. The Scottish Funding Council has also committed £3m towards what is an innovative approach to the provision of further education. The whole council had a full, informed and frank debate on the business case and we now move on to the next stage in developing the college."

(CD/BMcc)