MALVERN Hills College's building could be sold off in a district council bid to raise money for a new office.

The college is on a list of properties the council is considering selling to help fund a £6.5 million new town centre headquarters.

MHDC agreed to investigate the project in January. But only this week did it disclose all the properties it wants to sell.

Apart from the college, these include The Willows newsagent in Avenue Road and industrial units at Spring Lane, Malvern, and Tenbury Business Park.

The value of the college was listed in a 2003 asset management plan as £800,000.

MHDC bought the college buildings and land in 1995 from the county council for £500,000. The purchase was hailed as a godsend that ended years of uncertainty about its future.

The money came from the so-called Malvern Millions, the cash windfall received when it sold its council houses to the Elgar Housing Association. A few years later, the college merged with Evesham.

College principal David Blades said: "MHDC has been a loyal and committed supporter of Malvern Hills College. We are aware of their plans to sell a number of their properties and we have begun discussions regarding us purchasing the college campus.

"Our aim is to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. We hope we will be able to achieve this aim but clearly this will depend upon affordability."

Aileen Fairclough, chairman of the college governors, would not comment.

Anthony Williams, MHDC's representative on the governors, said: "It's early days and nothing has been decided yet."

The Willows newsagent was valued at £20,000 in 2003. Yesterday, proprietor Tony Lewis said: "This is the first I've heard about it. We'll obviously investigate further. It's something we'd have to think very hard about if they offered us the chance to buy it."