GLASGOW is to become the biggest college campus in the UK with 25,000 students and 1000 staff.

GLASGOW is to become the biggest college campus in the UK with 25,000 students and 1000 staff.

A £300million super- campus to be created in the city centre is expected to trigger a flood of applications from students around the world.

The go-ahead for the ambitious further education masterplan comes after four city colleges signed an agreement yesterday to launch a new company to spearhead the project.

Appropriately called New Campus Glasgow, the specialist business venture is backed by Central College, Stow College, Glasgow Metropolitan College and the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies.

A blueprint to create a giant shared campus in the heart of Glasgow had been dogged by a series of bitter squabbles among the colleges especially over fears that some existing facilities were to be rundown.

But now college chiefs have agreed to work together to create Britain's largest college campus, which will be one of the biggest in Europe, within the next four years year.

Glasgow's super-campus will be operational by 2012 and will offer students and staff state-of-the-art facilities and modern halls of residence in Cathedral Street and Thistle Street.

The college principals issued a joint statement, saying: "We are committed to making the city centre super-campus a reality.

"It will offer world-class learning and teaching in cutting-edge facilities.

"Working in partnership over the next few years, we will achieve our shared goal of providing the very best learning opportunities possible for the citizens and the businesses of Glasgow."

Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop also backed the scheme.

She said: "Scotland's colleges are one of the key driving forces of our economy and are central to the Scottish Government's efforts to create a smarter, wealthier and fairer nation."

Steven Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, believes the super-campus will play a vital role in helping the city.

He said: "The joint economic strategy for Glasgow identifies the crucial role which education and training is increasingly playing in regeneration."

The super-campus will boost Glasgow's reputation for further education, making it the UK leader in maritime, construction, tourism and design education.