Almost 80 members of staff at West Cheshire College have now been warned their jobs are at risk as part of a shake-up revealed in this newspaper last week.

The cash-strapped college has disclosed it is considering pulling back to one main campus, despite a £65m investment in flagship buildings in Ellesmere Port and Chester which only opened in 2011.

The college refuses to confirm rumours its science and technology building in Handbridge, Chester will close but says it is looking for a city centre location for its students.

The University and College Union (UCU), which represents academic members of staff at the college, believes the axe is to fall at both the Ellesmere Port and Chester campuses, with 30 of the 120 staff at the Chester campus at risk and 49 more at Ellesmere Port.

The college says it doesn’t expect to find alternative work for all the people it will let go but it is working hard to cushion the blow through voluntary measures.

The UCU has said, however, it will fight any efforts to make staff redundant on a compulsory basis.

Its officers point out the college is blaming government cuts for the job cull, but insist it should avoid ‘knee-jerk cuts to staff and services’.

They are encouraging the college to meet to discuss alternatives.

UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: “The further education sector is facing a difficult time due to cuts in funding.

“However, UCU does not accept its members should bear the brunt of these cuts by losing their jobs.

“Government cuts to education are an outrageous affront to people who need access to it in these tough times.

“We want to work with West Cheshire College to ensure that students in the area still have the opportunities they need to try and get on.

“The last thing they need is job cuts and course closures at their local college.”

The college is understood to be seeking cost reductions approaching £3m of which £1m would come from non-pay budgets.

Its funding is due to fall by almost £2.5m in 2014/15.

Meanwhile, the books are already thought to be in the red with suggestions several million pounds have been taken from reserves over a couple of years with its financial position said to have suffered a significant deterioration.

Half the posts at risk are thought to involve academic staff with 30 in support services.

A reduction in the number of managers would save more than half a million pounds.

The college has launched a comprehensive consultation and is believed to be due to carry out an interim review of the outcome on Friday.

At the same time, it has been found to require improvement by Ofsted inspectors with steps already being taken to improve what have been described as poor success rates.