Students and staff are crossing their fingers in the hope their £3m college expansion plan gets accepted.

Croydon College is hoping to transform the Park Lane end of its campus by refurbishing 2,000sq m of the site.

The transformed land would include state-of-the-art teaching areas for people to learn digital creative and technological skills, customer service and retail.

There would also be room for shops and businesses and space for an employment agency.

Its principal, Frances Wadsworth, said: “The development will allow our students to learn using new, cutting-edge facilities, in collaboration with employers and partners, using the latest technology, giving our students a real advantage as they start and progress their careers.”

The college has already raised £2m from the sale of adjacent land, and has now submitted a £1m funding bid to the London Enterprise Panel (LEP) to top-up the necessary funds to complete the project.

A funding decision is expected by June.