A BUILDING site at Colchester Institute will be replaced with a four storey teaching block following the award of a £7 million government grant.

Five years ago the now defunct Learning and Skills Council scrapped an £85 million rebuild of the college mid-project, leaving much of the Sheepen Road campus a building site.

But soon students will no longer have to study in temporary classrooms after the replacement Skills Funding Agency agreed to stump up £7 million towards the £9.5 million cost of building a new south wing.

The college, which has 9,000 students taking further and higher education courses as well as apprenticeships, has agreed to fund the remainder.

For the full report, see Friday's Gazette