THE new £30.5m college campus in Witney could be completed one year before it was due to be finished.

If all goes to plan, demolition of the old buildings and complete redevelopment will be achieved by the summer of 2010 instead of 2011.

Lead construction company, Abingdon-based Leadbitter, has come up with a more streamlined way of dealing with temporary classrooms while the development goes ahead.

There will be no extra cost - and no cut in the overall bill. What is gained in less labour time will be lost in more expensive temporary buildings.

Steve Billcliffe, college director of development, said: "Temporary accommodation these days is not what it used to be - damp and draughty.

"These will be three storeys high and quite luxurious, of a higher quality than the existing buildings the students have to use."

Preventing disruption for students was a key element in the long-awaited redevelopment after the college decided not to transfer to a new site.

The new timetable will form part of a revised application to West Oxfordshire District Council, to be considered after councillors have toured the college site and met residents around the Holloway Road campus next Thursday, May 8, from 6pm.

Sue Webb, the college's director responsible for the new campus project, said in order to achieve the shorter time-scale, the college would instal a small village of temp- orary classrooms and offices on land at the northern end of the existing site.

She said: "This will enable us to transfer almost all of our students and staff from the existing classroom blocks this summer and demolish more of the old buildings in the first phase of the project - thus saving 12 months of potential disruption for the college and local residents."

The college is in the middle of a formal planning consultation process that has seen drawings of the new campus on display in Witney Library and other places in the town.

The revised plans are also available for viewing at the council's Elmfield office, in New Yatt Road.

The college said it is aware of the possible impact of three-storey buildings on residential properties, as well as the neighbouring Batt CofE Primary School. But it said that overlooking would be avoided by placing windows facing away from properties.

The campus became part of Abingdon and Witney College in 2001 when two smaller colleges merged.

Redevelopment was a priority because the buildings were no longer considered fit for purpose.

Work is expected to start at the end of June.