Staff at Marine Academy Plymouth are hoping that a major rebuilding and refurbishment at the school could be complete by September next year.

The academy was given more than nine million pounds of government funding to pay for the demolition of part of the old 1930s building and the remodelling and refurbishment of the rest.

Next week the city council will decide which contractor will get the job of carrying out the work.

The idea is to create a community facility too with a theatre, public library and other facilities.

It's not as much money as they would have received under the previous government's building for schools project.

Meanwhile, the city council will decide next week whether it wants to become a co sponsor of Plymouth's proposed new university technical college.

The government announced last year that Plymouth was one of the chosen sites - the city is likely to receive around eight million pounds in funding.

The plan is to turn the derelict Parkside building into the new college, which would take around 600 fourteen to nineteen year olds.

Forty per cent of their curriculum would be based around vocational studies and it's hoped local employers like Princess Yachts might help to shape this.

City College Plymouth and the university were behind the initial bid - if the city council acts as co sponsor, it doesn't mean they are financially liable but can still offer advice.