The bulldozers will be moving in to Witney’s college campus in the next few days as a £30m redevelopment begins.

Fencing and danger keep out signs are going up this week, with demolition and clearance expected to take about five weeks.

Steve Bilcliffe, director of development for Abingdon and Witney College, said: “It is somewhat earlier than planned, so we are making excellent progress on the timescale for the project.”

The campus scheme is replacing all the existing buildings as well as the town’s redundant ambulance station at the same time that, on the opposite side of Welch Way, the new £50m Marriotts Close shopping, housing and multi-storey care park project is taking shape.

During the demolition and rebuild all students will remain on campus in temporary classrooms and study centres.

These are costing £1.2m to rent and furnish over the two years of the project.

Dan Large, 17, of the Cogges estate, Witney, joined the college from Wood Green School. He said: “The college needs modernising, definitely.

“Unfortunately, I will be finished before the new campus buildings are ready, but the temporary accommodation is good and very well equipped.”

The temporary cabins were hoisted into the site over the summer holidays.

Media studies student Zoe Harris, 17, said: “When you are inside you can’t tell they are temporary cabins.”

Planning conditions restrict the working hours on site to 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and up to 1.30pm on Saturdays, to minimise noise nuisance to nearby residents.

Contractors have also been told to spray demolished rubble with water to curb dust nuisance.