A £2.3 billion strategy to develop low carbon colleges marks a new approach to delivery of public buildings, the Secretary of State and Innovations John Denham announced.

All new colleges throughout England will have to emit no carbon by 2016 and all new or partly built colleges must have wind turbines, solar panels or other renewable energy sources.

Building Colleges for the Future outlines detailed proposals for the largest ever further education building works programme.

It will provide every community with state of the art further education facilities, and over 150 colleges throughout England are set to benefit.

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For the first time in any major procurement programme companies that are paid to deliver the work will be contractually obliged to invest in the skills and training needs of their staff, thereby ensuring that local people will benefit from new work opportunities.

Mr Denham said: "The record £2.3bn we are now investing sets out our most ambitious plans yet for sustainable college buildings.

"We will require all new projects to meet the highest building standards for sustainable design and have a taskforce in place to advise on how we will ensure that all new buildings are zero carbon by 2016. This is two years ahead of the government's target for public sector building announced in the Budget.

"The strategy will also announce the inclusion of mandatory training plans for apprenticeships and work-based learning in all contracts. This will ensure we get maximum value and training opportunities out of every penny of public investment going into our colleges, and marks the beginning of a radical new approach to public procurement."

facilities, designed for the 21st Century, should be the ultimate goal for everyone involved in education and training."

(CD/JM)