AFTER North Hertfordshire College (NHC) failed to make the shortlist for Government funding to rebuild its Hitchin campus, it looks likely it will only be able to recoup �600,000 of the �2m it had spent on plans. NHC had hoped to secure �45m from the Furt

AFTER North Hertfordshire College (NHC) failed to make the shortlist for Government funding to rebuild its Hitchin campus, it looks likely it will only be able to recoup �600,000 of the �2m it had spent on plans.

NHC had hoped to secure �45m from the Further Education Capital programme, to build academies for sport and creative industries on the Hitchin site.

But it was left fighting for a diminished pot when the Government drastically cut funding in March, and it failed to make the last 13 from over 180 projects considered across the country.

Last week, a spokesman for the college said it hoped to recoup �1m of its outlay from the Learning and Skills Council. But this week the college's principal, Fintan Donohue, has admitted they may only be able to claw back �600,000.

He said the �1.4m lost is "obviously money I would rather have spent on students.

"However, while the overall reserves from previous sales has depleted, it hasn't diminished what we can do."

He said there is now a three-year plan to work with the existing building in Hitchin, to improve the facilities there.

"As long as facilities are good quality, we can get high skills rates from the students," he said.