This is how a new £60 million college will look.

The drawings were on display at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre in Hastings yesterday as part of a public consultation.

The Government has given its approval for a post-16 education revamp in the town, which involves the redevelopment of Hastings College of Art and Technology and the closure of four sixth-forms.

The plans for Hastings and Rother College were resubmitted earlier this year, with the new college now split into two sites.

The main building is a six-storey block at Station Plaza in the town centre, while the second building in Ore Valley will be beside Ore train station and the Millennium Community regeneration site.

Tim Hulme, project director, said: "We came on board in November last year and concluded the college could not fit into the old scheme.

"We came up with this alternative proposal. The Station Plaza building will consist of three or four buildings linked by a central covered street about twice the width of the one in Priory Meadow Shopping Centre.

"The site will also include 104 residential apartments, a new primary care health centre and 353 underground parking spaces.

"The ground floor of the college will be for the public to use as well as the students, with a restaurant, hair and beauty salon, internet cafe, crche and nursery.

"The Ore Valley college will be the vocational site."

He added: We have had a lot of very positive responses.

"We have just received the funding of £60 million, in principle, from the Learning and Skills Council. The application will be submitted in October and we hope to begin construction in July next year to open in September 2009."

Residents were mostly positive about the developments.

Self-employed writer Jim Scrivener, 50, of St Andrews Square, Hastings, said the college's central location would be an improvement but added: "I am more concerned about Ore Valley because it is a substantial building and there are residents living opposite."

Acorn Clayton, 35, of St Mary's Terrace, a teacher at Hillcrest School, said: "We are losing our sixth-form so I am very interested in this. You do need something in the town centre and a college is the right idea. It's a bad bit of the town and it needs something."