Large numbers of students, parents, teachers and councillors were outraged earlier this year at the proposal to close St Vincent College in Gosport and merge it with Fareham College.

The government quango the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) originally wanted to build a new £60m 'supercollege' by 2010 on the old Daedalus site in Lee-on-the-Solent.

In June, the LSC promised to look at the proposals again after several objections were raised by St Vincent and both Gosport and Fareham councillors over fears of bigger classes, job cuts and lack of transport links to Daedalus.

Now the colleges have been asked to come up with new plans to develop their current sites after the LSC regional council decided 'merger cannot be recommended as the preferred strategic option'.

The new plans could range from minor refurbishment to complete demolition and multi-million pound redevelopment.

St Vincent principal Steve Wain welcomed the news.

'This decision by the Learning and Skills Council clearly shows they are prepared to listen,' he said. 'During consultation, the overwhelming view of the community was that merger wasn't a good idea, especially once any chance of building a new college at Daedalus was scuppered in January by Fareham Borough Council.

'The LSC has demonstrated clear confidence in St Vincent to develop plans and it is reassuring to know that we have been given the green light to access the LSC's multi-million capital development funds.'

Gosport and Hampshire county councillor Keith Gill said: 'The LSC were a group of people who didn't have any local knowledge and came up with a plan that wasn't based on local wishes.

'This is excellent news. It's a positive move forward. St Vincent is crucial to the community not just in terms of education but for a range of community facilities.'

Fareham College had backed the merger plan throughout and said it would make a statement in the next couple of days.

Both colleges have until the end of December to submit their plans to the LSC.

sion.donovan@thenews.co.uk