When the Barford Road school, formerly known as Ernulf, was granted specialist Arts College Status in 2004 by the Government, the school revealed ambitious plans to build a performing arts centre, designed to benefit school pupils, dance groups, businesses and to be a town attraction.

It was expected to have the Ernulf Youth and Performing Arts Centre on line by September 2005.
The original plans for the building were estimated at £2 million, but sources suggest the actual cost could have been up to three times higher due to rising building costs.
Cambridgeshire County Council has now revised its plans down to a more modest £1million 'multi-purpose facility'.

The cash for the original scheme would have been separate to the £600,000 the school received from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) over a four year period.
That money has been spent on supporting the school's arts status with refurbishment and providing skills and resources.

Instead, the money for the new project is likely to come from a £950,000 pot the county council put aside for the original project – £500,000 in its youth services and £450,000 in its property department.
A county council spokesman said the original plan was 'not achievable'. He said: "It was decided that such a huge programme would have cost a great deal of money, so a revised scheme has been submitted to the school."

The spokesman described plans for the new building as "an activity space for multi-use".
He added: "The council submitted scaled down plans – a detailed document – to the school and governors a few months ago, but we are still waiting for the school's reaction and any feedback."

A school spokesman confirmed the school authorities were currently studying the document and were 'finalising their thoughts'.
He said: "The plans will be sent back within the next couple of weeks before the end of term, by which time the school will have come to the end of the internal consultation process and can then let the council know what their thoughts are on the matter.

"We will expect the revised plans to be back with the school in September with tenders out by the end of December and completion of the building by the end of 2009."
He confirmed plans currently on the table are for a one-storey building which is designed to 'aesthetically blend' in with the front of the school.

Community college principal Eueth Forrester said: "Our new multi-purpose facility, which we hope will be open at the end of next year, will be of great value and a considerable asset to our college and also to other community users."