Teaching staff at Ruskin College are in open rebellion over plans to move the college from its two historic homes to a site in North Oxford.

The college wants to sell its sites in Walton Street and Old Headington to fund a multi-million pound relocation to a purpose-built building on the old Unipart factory off Woodstock Road.

Lecturers have condemned the move as a betrayal of Ruskin's inheritance and expressed grave concerns about siting the college in the middle of a planned housing development.

They are also angry that Ruskin, with its long associations with the trade union movement, is ready to form a ground-breaking partnership with developer Berkeley Homes.

At a meeting of the college's Association of University Teachers branch on Wednesday, a resolution was passed warning that the loss of its city centre base and the 20-acre site at Headington would jeopardise the college's future growth, affecting recruitment and plans to offer undergraduate degrees.

It called on the governing body to consider creating one site by expanding its Old Headington home. A petition was also launched, calling on students, staff, trade unionists and former members of Ruskin to condemn the move.

The new 5,600 sq m college building would be designed and built by Berkeley Homes, and would stand between Bainton Road and a housing development on the Unipart site. It would have 124 student bedrooms and 15 teaching rooms.

Ruskin's principal, Jim Durcan, himself a member of the AUT, said the decision to move had been made three years ago, after extensive consultation with staff and students.

He said a significant number of non-academic staff supported it and added: "I understand why people stay emotionally attached to the buildings and the heritage.

"The college executive view all this as important, but so is the college's future."