£50m boost to transform college

About 20,000 students attend Forth Valley College

More than £50m is to be spent transforming Forth Valley College following one of the biggest payouts by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

Two new campuses are to be built in Alloa and Stirling, with facilities in Falkirk also being upgraded.

Work on the Alloa campus, to be sited at Hawkhill, will begin in March 2010 and construction will start at Kildean, Stirling in August 2010.

The SFC has awarded £30m for the plans and the college is to make up the rest.

A Health and Safety centre of excellence is also to be created at Earls Gate Park in Grangemouth, next to the petro-chemical site, with a £250,000 grant.

Forth Valley College principal Linda McKay said: "These truly are exciting and transformational times for Forth Valley learners.

"This project is the realisation of the vision that we had when we amalgamated Falkirk and Clackmannanshire colleges in August 2005.

"We have had an outstanding vote of confidence from the Scottish Funding Council and a ringing endorsement from HMIE."

'Major investment'

The college currently has more than 20,000 students and 600 staff, and offers about 750 courses at campuses across the Forth Valley.

The project is expected to be completed in time for the academic session 2012/13.

John McClelland, chair of SFC said: "The whole experience of attending college is transformed when students have the right environment for learning.

"This funding is part of our programme to improve college buildings and facilities across Scotland and I am delighted that the council is able to make this major investment in Stirling and Alloa."