THE Hill Education and Conference Centre College's restrictive covenant is to be scrapped.

Monmouthshire County Council cabinet members agreed on Wednesday to release the covenant in exchange for land at the college's Usk campus - run by Coleg Gwent.

The building will now be sold to developers interested in the site. Councillor Phil Hobson said people in the area did not want to lose the establishment and asked if the members would be happy with the Hill being purchased to provide education.

Councillor Bob Greenland said that the council was not involved in negotiations for the sale. In a report to the council, officers said the college no longer wishes to accommodate staff in the new building at Usk, although it still requests to use meeting accommodation and shared facilities. A teaching block would also be retained by the college.