Students from around the world could be heading to Rayleigh if plans for a new college go ahead.

Under the proposals, the closed Park School in Rawreth Lane would become a transport museum and college, teaching specialist renovation skills and creating jobs locally.

The college would also cover international and language training to encourage overseas students to attend.

Vic Leach, chairman of Rochford District Council's transportation and environmental services committee, said the idea would save Park School from development.

He said: "Since merging with another local school, Park School has effectively been closed. It is on the edge of one of the largest housing developments in south-east Essex and gives concern that if it is not retained as an educational or leisure facility, the temptation for the education authority to sell it for housing will be difficult to resist."

The somewhat unusual proposals were brought to the attention of the council by county councillor Richard Boyd, who was approached some years ago with the idea by a group of businessmen.

He said: "This project, although exciting, was not progressed as the then investors found other projects to be more attractive.

"A version of this project has now come back into discussion - informal advice has been sought from various sources and our district is considered to be the prime location for the museum and college.

"The former Park School site could be a suitable candidate, not only because it was a school and could be quickly adapted to become a college, but also the site would be protected from being sold for even more housing development."

The project would include a transport museum displaying veteran and vintage cars, buses, coaches and agricultural vehicles, and a college with workshops, which would contain a training facility for the renovation and rebuilding of vehicles and machinery.

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