THERE is no restriction on what the land currently housing Caerleon’s university campus could be used for in the future, the Argus understands.

For some years it had been supposed there was an educational covenant on the land, which includes the iconic 100-year-old former Monmouthshire Training College, requiring it to be used for learning.

But the Argus has been told by a USW spokesman that there is in fact “no restriction on the use of the site”.

Last week the Argus revealed university bosses were consulting on closing the sprawling campus, putting 145 jobs at risk and affecting 7,000 students when courses are suspended from next year.

USW’s board of governors met last Monday and agreed to close the campus following a review of the whole estate, citing a steady decline in student numbers which could negatively affect student experience.

A pre-planned open day went ahead at the Caerleon campus yesterday.

The Argus can reveal that numbers on Newport’s documentary photography course – which has been based in the city in some form for 100 years and is due to move to Cardiff – have been declining over the last four years, from 156 students in 2010 to 148 the following year, 115 the year after that, 100 last year and 67 this year.

USW estimated an investment of £20 million would be needed to bring the campus up to scratch, with future options including some form of community or further education use or sale of the site within the next two to three years.

The future of the leisure centre and gym, a quarter of whose members come from the community and are not students, is being looked at.

Academic jobs are expected to move with their courses while other staff could be redistributed when other facilities, in line with the city centre expansion, create new positions.

A USW spokesman told the Argus that all students and their representatives are being consulted as to when their courses will move and as yet no one is sure when their course will move.

Newport’s photography course will move to Cardiff along with other creative courses such as the film school. Newport’s city centre campus will become a centre for business and professional studies offering new courses including hospitality and cyber security, as well as accounting, finance and early years education.

Phase two of development at the Kingsway site will include a student union.