THESE are the first images of how a college campus in Basildon town centre will look.

The Echo can also today exclusively reveal the expected location of the £250million campus is on the roundabout next to Trafford House, behind Basildon station.

The computer generated images are due to be unveiled on the final day of the annual Thames Gateway Forum at the ExCel Centre in London Docklands today.

There is a pedestrian walkway planned to link the rail station to the new campus.

New Campus Basildon, a consortium led by Seevic College, with partners Prospects College and South East Essex College, has already opened on the ground-floor of the nearby Icon tower block.

This is in preparation for the permanent campus set to open in September 2013.

Seevic has been working with Bond Bryan Architects to prepare the plans, and an outline planning application should go in by next summer.

Geoff Arnott, principal and chief executive of Seevic College, said: “We can now look forward to progressing the building design.

“It will have a major impact on the lives of our young people and make a positive contribution to the local economy.”

Basildon Council leader Malcolm Buckley said raising standards and aspirations of young people was vital.

He said: “We are committed to raising education standards and are delighted to see these exciting images.

“This investment will be a catalyst to major regeneration of Basildon town centre, and see the creation of a world-class college campus in the heart of the town.”

The current Icon campus is a college for 16 to 19 year olds, with a range of vocational programmes in sport and recreation, health, social care and medical technologies and business.

It will relocate when the new building is finished.

Chris Balch, chairman of Basildon Renaissance Partnership, said: “These images reveal how truly groundbreaking this new college will be.

“It’s further proof Basildon is a place where opportunities come alive.”