Ceredigion County Council has revealed its plans to convert Wales' oldest university into a skills-based campus.

Courses at Lampeter's university campus came to an end in June after more than 200 years of higher education at the site.

Ceredigion County Council's plans have been shrouded in secrecy for months.

The council spoke to the BBC on Friday morning to reveal it is to get a loan to buy a farm in Lampeter valued at £1.85 million which will be converted into an agricultural college.

There is currently an agricultural college some 20 miles away at Gelli Aur.

The Cambrian News has asked what this development will mean for the future of Gelli Aur and Coleg Ceredigion sites in Aberystwyth and Cardigan, which currently provide post-16 vocational education.

No response has yet been received.

Announcing its plans, Ceredigion County Council said: "Following a series of discussions between the Council and the University, exciting plans are being developed to deliver post-16 vocational education on the campus, with particular emphasis on skills-based courses critical to the rural economy of Wales, such as agriculture, horticulture, gastronomy and construction.

"In a related development planned to support agricultural and horticultural courses, the council has now secured the purchase of a farm adjacent to the campus."

Cllr Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council said: “We are pleased to now be in a position to share these exciting plans. We know how important the Lampeter campus is to the town and the wider community. Our ambition is to help to secure a sustainable future for the campus and to ensure that it continues to make a significant contribution to the regional economy.

“The vocational courses that we plan to offer will enable us to develop the skills required to meet employer needs around the region. The campus has significant potential. We will continue to work with UWTSD to explore the opportunity with a view to increasing the breadth of courses the campus can support over the next few years. It is important that learners can stay in their communities to learn and to be able to succeed in their chosen fields, whilst staying in Ceredigion”

A council spokesperson added: "Over the next three years, a range of vocational courses and skills-based programmes are planned to be made available at the Lampeter campus. The Council will also look to provide additional community facilities on the site.

"A-level courses will not be provided on the campus, which will therefore not compete with school sixth forms for academic provision."

Emlyn Dole, Chair of UWTSD Council said: “The UWTSD Group, which includes Coleg Ceredigion, is pleased to be working with Ceredigion County Council on this exciting opportunity for the Lampeter campus. The plan announced today reflects our shared ambition to build a brighter future for Lampeter, one that is centred around creating new education and learning opportunities, strengthening community links and supporting the rural economy.

“This project will also ensure greater integration between the campus and Lampeter town, and I have no doubt that co-locating a significant number of post-16 learners on the campus will have a welcome impact on the local economy. We are grateful for the Council’s support and look forward to bringing this vision to life.”

A series of public meetings will be held in the coming months to discuss the plans and how they complement the ideas put forward by Lampeter Town Council and the Key Stakeholder Group convened by the university.