A HUGE office block in Halesowen looks set to be turned into a new campus to house more than 700 students by Halesowen College.

The college wants to buy the East wing of Trinity Point on New Road near Earls Island.

It wants to refurbish the building to create classrooms, studios, a student café/hub, staff offices and student welfare facilities and has applied to Dudley Council for a change of use from offices to education facility.

A design and access statement states: "The facilities can possibly accommodate up to 720 students across the six floors with estimated 60 full time equivalent staff."

It goes on: "The college currently delivers teaching over three sites – the main Whittingham Road Campus, Shenstone House on Dudley Road, Halesowen and a unit on the Coombs Wood Business park.

"Recruitment has been on a steadily upward trajectory for many years.

"This has been accelerated in recent years by the closure of Stourbridge College and a rising demographic trend in the local area.

"This has increased pressure on current resources which has not only proved challenging in terms of accommodating new students but has also proved problematic when the college wishes to rehouse existing students, in order to carry out crucial repairs/improvements to buildings."

It states that existing campuses are "overcrowded" and plans will "allow the college to decant learners from the Whittingham Road campus to Trinity Point."

It says Trinity Point is near existing coach drop-off points adding "students will be able to access the new facilities on foot, having travelled into college via existing routes."

The 73 car parking spaces will be for staff and visitors only.

Windsor Academy Trust is based in the West Wing which has four storeys - the two wings are joined by a central link.

Plans to convert the East wing into more than 80 apartments were approved in January, but did not come to fruition.