Plans have been revealed for a £5 million expansion to the innovation centre at Braintree College, in a move which could create 330 new places.

The College at Braintree, which is run by The Colchester Institute, wants £2.5 million of Essex County Council’s Local Growth Fund to complete phase two and phase three of the science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) centre at the Braintree campus, in Church Lane.

The college and Essex County Council are also set to contribute £1.25 million each to the project, which will see a 1,800sqm building, roughly the size of three tennis courts, built.

Before the new building is constructed, a section of the college site will be demolished and sold to raise funds.

A report states: "This project will deliver a centre of excellence, aligned to employer need, achieved through the provision of a smaller new build and also allowing for extended facilities to be added at a later date if required."

The new Stem building would consist of six classrooms, four workshops and it would provide space for an additional 330 learners by 2021/21.

It would also mean an increase in apprenticeships on offer at the centre of 42 per cent by 2021.

A Colchester Institute spokesperson commented: “Having recently invested in the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) facilities at the Braintree campus, Colchester Institute is continuing with ongoing plans for further growth at the Braintree site in the New Year.

"The Stem Innovation Centre at Braintree is already providing a range of benefits for the District. These include continuing to grow apprenticeship delivery in Essex skills priority sectors.”

If funding is approved, a planning application for the project is due to be submitted early next year, with an estimated completion date set for the end of 2019.

Braintree College's existing Innovation Centre cost £5.6 million and opened in July this year. The centre can currently support 466 learners per year.