A COLLEGE campus which closed ending more than 100 years of tradition in a North Yorkshire city is to be the site of a new university.

The Ripon campus of the College of Ripon and York St John, which is part of the University of Leeds, closed in 2001 after 150 years of the educational link between the college and the city.

But now a new Lifelong Learning Centre is to be launched at the site by Leeds Metropolitan University.

The centre will occupy two floors within the old lecture building on the former campus and will incorporate IT training rooms, classrooms and a learning centre.

In other areas of the campus, regeneration work is also taking place to create a mix of business units, a conference centre, new homes, child care and recreational facilities for the city.

The centre manager, Martin Lightfoot, said: "The learning centre will provide all adults with the opportunity to try their hand at learning from professional to academic to craft courses.

"Through our portfolio of courses we are aiming to meet a range of different local training needs, supporting workplace learning and the new Ripon Business Advisory Service to be launched in April."

The scheme is part of a regeneration programme for Ripon which will see £20 million invested in the city.

The programme manager for the Ripon Moving Forward scheme, Fiona Sullivan, said: "The opening of the Lifelong Learning Centre is a major boost to the regeneration work taking place in the city.

"Not only are we witnessing the return of a university to Ripon but also a great enhancement to our reputation as a key provider of education in North Yorkshire."

The campus closed in the summer of 2001 to make way for a major expansion programme at the York site. For more information and a prospectus phone 01765 643440.

Updated: 11:52 Wednesday, January 08, 2003