AN agricultural college is to receive £10m from the Government’s Growth Fund to carry out a major redevelopment.

The investment will enable East Durham College to proceed with a £30m revamp of its Houghall Campus, near Durham City.

In April, planning approval was given for improvements including a new animal care centre, cattle, pig and sheep sheds, and an equine centre with 36 stables.

Suzanne Duncan, college principal, said: “On behalf of the college; our governors, staff and students, I would like to express our absolute delight at being awarded this funding.

“The redevelopment will enable the college to vastly improve its facilities which will allow us to offer more places as well as to broaden and expand the curriculum offer, such as offering more of our students a progression route on to Level 4 programmes of study and degree level courses.

“The economic benefits of the development will safeguard over 100 jobs as well as creating about 100 new ones”

“We will be moving ahead quickly to progress our plans to provide significantly improve learning and teaching facilities at Houghall and providing a learning environment fit for the 21st century and beyond.”