AMBITIOUS plans to expand a vocational training college are being scaled down because of funding worries.

A year ago, Prospects College announced plans for a three-storey building on the old Hazelwood Foods factory site, off Luckyn Lane, Basildon.

It was to include a giant open-plan practical training area, seminar rooms, a 200-seat training restaurant, and a computer resource centre.

Now work has been halted, prompted by concerns about the £2million the college planned to borrow to help fund the £11.5million project. There are also questions over the Government’s contribution to the scheme.

Chief executive Neil Bates has admitted the college was now scaling back its plans. As a result, a single-storey building, housing the restaurant and a few training facilities, is more likely.

He explained: “We have decided it would be unwise to borrow that much in the current economic climate. There are also technical issues with the Government money.

“A condition of its funding was we were supposed to match a proportion of it. If we contribute less, we will receive less from the Government.”

A year ago, Mr Bates was promising the centre would offer 250 building industry apprenticeship places, plus courses for as many 500 other students.

Yesterday, he said he still hoped to take on the same number of students, but using exisiting college buildings.

The college already teaches 500 engineering, manufacturing and further education students in a £6million complex next to the former Hazelwood site. It also has a smaller centre in Bentalls, Basildon.