A SEARCH is on for a new home for Huddersfield Technical College after a huge redevelopment plan hit major snags.

Plans to rebuild on the present site have been hit by soaring costs and the discovery of mineshafts.

Plans for the new-look college are now described as being `in limbo'.

In August college principal Chris Sadler put forward an ambitious rebuilding plan costing £40m.

But a report seen by the Examiner from a recent meeting quotes the final cost of that plan as a whopping £75m - an 87.5% increase.

Since the first announcement the college has carried out extensive surveys on the ground beneath the site - and found it was crisscrossed by mineshafts, which means it is unable to support new buildings.

The costs of `firming up' the ground would be about £1m.

Even if the college could afford that it would also have to pay up to £5m in extra accommodation costs for students to be taught elsewhere while the work took place.

In a new report vice-principal Melanie Brooke reveals that a search has been launched for a site away from New North Road.

It began after the Learning and Skills Council suggested another location might be better.

Ms Brooke says: "A number of discussions have already taken place and a major player in these will need to be Kirklees Council."

A list of potential sites is being compiled for a college governors' meeting soon.

The college is proposing to sell its Ashbrow site at Sheepridge and borrow up to £10m to pay for its part of the deal.

Government agencies would pick up the rest of the tab.

The document says the Learning and Skills Council did not believe the current proposals represented the best value for money.

Ms Brooke's report adds: "We are extremely disappointed with the outcome of all the hard work that has taken place.

"But it had become obvious in recent weeks that the college's preferred option has developed significant challenges which, although not impossible to overcome, would not readily present a set of proposals that the LSC would easily support."

She says: "In the short term all this ongoing background work leaves the college in limbo.

"It is possible we may not find an alternative, appropriate site and hence be left with our current preferred option but with LSC misgivings."

College principal Chris Sadler told the Examiner that the £40m previously quoted was for just the cost of the building.

It did not include temporary accommodation, professional fees, VAT, remedial work to the ground and other costs.

He added: "Our preferred option was to develop the main New North Road campus.

"But we are now considering alternatives, in line with the central need to be accessible.

"In order to serve the best interests of the community the college governors have made clear the importance of an easily accessible location as we draw students from a wide area.

"A critical issue is the timescale and being able to deliver improvements to students. The development of the main campus site may still be the best option.

Mr Sadler said: "We are confident that Huddersfield will see a new and exciting development at the college.

"The work already done will not be wasted.

"This is a temporary setback to a project which is fully supported by all parties and will create exciting opportunities for more learners."