A NEW college campus is to be built in Bolton town centre to provide a home for the town's two largest colleges.

Education bosses are planning to create a multi-million pound site which will house students studying at Bolton Community College, at present in Manchester Road, and the north campus of Bolton Sixth Form College, based at Smithills School.

Although the two colleges will not merge, they will share a state-of-the-art home and could sell off existing buildings to raise capital for the ambitious project.

The plans will also see a new sixth form centre created in Farnworth where students from the south campus of the Sixth Form College will eventually relocate.

A Bolton Council spokesman said town hall leaders would now begin a process of deciding on the size and location of the new buildings.

It was also unclear how long the project would take.

It is believed that a site near the Deane campus of Bolton University is being looked at for the new town centre building, and that land in Queen Street in Farnworth might be earmarked for the south campus of the Sixth Form College.

The new campus will be funded in part by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

The exciting scheme was revealed by town hall chiefs as part of plans to improve further education across the borough.

The plans are the result of a consultation by education leaders with 14 to 19-year-olds.

Currently, the north campus has 800 sixth form students, with 400 studying at the south site, while Bolton Community College has 4,000 young people registered for a variety of courses.

Cllr Carol Swarbrick, the council's executive member for education, said: "We have listened to the views of all those who have a stake in 14 to 19 education in Bolton.

"The resulting plan will modernise our provision and offer young people in the borough a range of exciting opportunities."

The new town centre college site will also be home to a centre for adult education.

The overhaul of post-16 education will also see sixth form centres at all high schools in Bolton expanded to create more places and a wider choice of subjects. Sixth form centres are also to be created in the Farnworth area and at Withins School, Breightmet, to encourage more youngsters in the area to take up A-levels.

Roy Whittle, Principal of Bolton Sixth Form College said: "The college welcomes the commitment of the LSC to invest significant amounts of money in post-16 education and training in Bolton."Bolton does need to raise participation in post-16 education and training and the proposals and the funding will help this.

"The college welcomes the intention to relocate to a town centre site.

"This will make its provision accessible to all and will enable students to study in the most modern environment.

He added that the south sixth form campus at Hayward school in Lever Edge Lane was in poor condition.

Alsion Bowes, Principal of Bolton Community College, said: "I am delighted that the plans have moved forward and I think it's great news for Bolton.

"The town deserves a new building for its successful colleges and I am looking forward to working in partnership with Bolton Sixth Form College.

"Our current building is in a poor state and this exciting new project will help us move forward to having a first rate education system for 14-19 year-olds as well as adult learners."