PLANS for a £25m college in a `brain drain' town are back on track.

Proposals for the sixth form in Rochdale were under threat after it was revealed that government funding for new colleges had been put on hold due to the economic climate.

But the town's MPs held an emergency summit with Further Education Minister Sion Simon and emerged `confident' for the college's future.

Rochdale had come under fire for lack of its further education provision after it emerged that 32 per cent of its A-level students travelled to Oldham or Bury to study.

When plans for the college were announced last year MP Paul Rowen hailed `the end of the brain drain'.

He said the new college would `revolutionise education at all levels'.

But those plans were thrown into turmoil after news of the cutbacks emerged.

Reports claimed nationwide plans for 42 new college buildings were under threat.

However, after talks in London, Mr Rowen and Middleton and Heywood MP Jim Dobbin believe funding is now `secure'.

Mr Rowen said: "The meeting was very useful. The latest news, we were told, is that there would be a regional meeting of the Learning and Skills Council this month, with the proposed Sixth Form College in Rochdale highly likely to get the go ahead.

"I am delighted ministers have listened to the case that Jim Dobbin and I put forward.

Mr Dobbin said: "I am pleased the funding for the sixth form college and the redevelopment of Hopwood Hall College, along with the 16-plus skills centre in Heywood, is secure and the exciting new provision can go ahead."