COLLEGE chiefs are holding their cards close to their chest over the future of the West Herts' Cassio Campus, despite welcoming a draft planning document to build up to 180 homes on the site.

Less than a month after insisting the site in Langley Road was definitely not for sale, the college was involved in consultation with Watford Council and residents over the prime development land.

The council said it had prepared the brief for future guidance after it heard the college was proposing to modernise its premises.

The brief stated that, as part of its Millennium Plan, West Herts College hoped to expand its Hempstead Road Campus to meet the growing education needs of Watford and surrounding areas "and sell the Cassio site for commercial development".

College principal Mr Andrew Bragg said: "Watford Council developed a draft planning brief following consultation with key members of the community, including West Herts College.

"The college has welcomed the general thrust of the brief. I must emphasise, however, that West Herts College has not yet made any decision regarding the future of the Cassio site and whether it is to be sold."

Mr Stephen Lavender, chairman of the Nascot Wood Residents Association, said: "We think the sale of the Cassio Campus site is a matter of when rather than if.

"We are pleased Watford Council put together this brief and got involved because we are anxious to prepare for the future. Whoever develops the site will have advance notice of what the residents think."

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