A HOTEL and a touring caravan site are two of the plans Derwen are working on as the college looks to diversify in the future.

The hotel would build on the current partnership the college enjoys with Premier Inn, and would see an initial six rooms available to the public.

The touring caravan site would involve a maximum of 16 pitches – and possibly some glamping pods – and be sited by woodland on the campus. It is likely three pitches would be set up to launch the project.

Some properties owned by the college are also being sold off. Chair of governors Kathleen Kimber said: “We are selling because the property offsite is not suitable for the students with their range of needs. The properties were a noose around our neck – they were very high maintenance.

“We have four little cottages in a row next to the Orthopaedic Hospital and two semi-detached bungalows and a small building plot, which has outline planning permission, and all will be sold.”

Thirty redundancies were announced by the college earlier this year but Ruth Thomas says this was driven by a drop in student numbers, not the budget stresses.

“We have not looked at staffing numbers driven by the budget,” she said. “We have looked at staffing levels driven by the number of students and their needs. We have fewer residential students.

“If we, as an example, reduce by 40 students, think of the impact that has on staffing. That is why there has been a reduction. We just haven’t got the number of students being placed here next September.

“I assure you the number of staff needed to support each of our students is high.

“We are not talking the average special needs student in an FE college. We are talking about those who need a highly- specialised environment in which to learn, flourish and be able to leave here and to help them so they can live as independently as possible.”