PLANS are under way to give the former South East Derbyshire College a multi-million-pound facelift.

They have been drawn up following its merger with Derby College and will see improvements to the main campus in Ilkeston and another in Heanor.

Derby College principal David Croll also hopes to boost the number of students using the two sites by about 500 in the next six months – from 900 to 1,400 – with the ultimate aim of having up to 2,000 students enrolled at Ilkeston and Heanor.

Mr Croll said he wanted to give the Ilkeston site a new look over the summer and students attending from September would see a major difference.

A new head of the Ilkeston and Heanor sites will be appointed by the end of this week, following interviews tomorrow.

Mr Croll said: "As a first stage, we are carrying out a condition survey of the Ilkeston site and will be upgrading classrooms, computer technology and learning resources.

"This will be followed by a decision on whether to rebuild the college on an alternative site.

"Our aim is to make provision for students in Ilkeston and Heanor as good as it is on our sites at Broomfield Hall, the Roundhouse and the Joseph Wright Centre.

"We will also look at the subjects we offer and see where there are any gaps that need filling."

Money is coming from cash generated by the merger and from the sale of a college farm, the Derby College campus in Mackworth and the former Cavendish Road site in Ilkeston.

Mr Croll said spending would run into several million pounds over the next few years.

He is also planning to set up a "drop-in shop" in Ilkeston town centre where prospective students can get advice on courses offered across the whole of Derby College.

He said: "Students in Ilkeston and Heanor can expect to receive the same high teaching and resource standards the rest of Derby College offers.

"Where appropriate we will bus students to our other sites so they can do the subjects they want, even if they aren't currently available in Ilkeston or Heanor.

"We want our provision to be judged 'outstanding' for the benefit of all our students."

The successful takeover by Derby College followed a failed attempt by the University of Derby to merge with South East Derbyshire College more than 18 months ago.

It comes eight years after a proposed merger between Wilmorton, Mackworth and Broomfield colleges, to include South East Derbyshire College.