The main stumbling block to building the new £23.5 million Keighley College campus has been removed.

Electrical firm Richard Craven has been granted land to replace its existing premises on the proposed college site. The college can be built on the current Station Bridge site while Craven moves to nearby Gresley Road.

The showpiece college, due for completion in 2008, will be built in Dalton Lane, next to the railway station.

Most of the necessary land has been secured but college bosses needed the Richard Craven building for the showpiece frontage.

After months of negotiation, Craven agreed to sell so long as the council found alternative land for the business.

The ideal site was in council ownership, behind Craven's second premises on the Gresley Road industrial estate, near Aldi supermarket. The Keighley News has learned that Bradford Council's asset management department this week agreed to sell the land to Craven.

A council spokesman yesterday confirmed negotiations for the sale could begin between the council and Craven.

Councillor Simon Cooke, the council's executive member for regeneration, said: "All the land should be in place for the development by the end of this month."

Cllr Lynne Joyce, chairman of the college governors, said she was delighted the "first domino had been toppled" and everything else could now fall into place.

She added: "I feel very optimistic. When this goes through we can commit to an iconic building at the end of Dalton Lane which will be a key signal for the regeneration of Keighley."

Keighley MP Ann Cryer, who has pushed for the land deal to be completed, also welcomed news of the Gresley Road deal.

Once both land deals have been completed, college bosses can submit detailed plans and make their final bid for funding from the government's Learning and Skills Council.