WITH a fanfare and a 'stakeholder breakfast' meeting of representatives of local firms and organisations, Gloucestershire College presented its vision for the new Forest campus.

The gathering at Five Acres heard from architect Robert Limbrick's lead project director Joe Roberts and Forest campus principal Lynne Craig that the new facility, on the shore of Steam Mills Lake, will be a first-rate sixth form centre and will offer courses focused on vocational subjects.

Most importantly it will concentrate on providing for the needs of the local area and embrace heritage and engineering skills as well as core vocational subjects.

Those at the presentation heard that the new campus will be a 'real world environment'.

Key points included:

•Collaboration with local businesses to provide 'real world' projects and a variety of work experiences with the students offering services to the local community where possible.

•A focus on sustainability and environmental education through the use of the new building and links made with local experts in this field.

•A key part of the vision is to provide the community and local business with a facility that they can engage with and be proud of.

•Collaboration with Dene Magna School and other academies to supply an outstanding A-level provision.

And the prospectus drawn up by the architects and college bosses acknowledges some of the controversy surrounding the Cinderford Northern Quarter Regeneration Project.

It states: "This is a very sensitive site that must be carefully considered including surrounding ground conditions, biodiversity and ecology, but we are confident that these can be addressed and embraced by the college development."

A partner in the project is the Homes and Communities Agency. At the core of the building will be 'hub' services which the college proposes to share with the local community.