Dartington says it cannot afford to refurbish accommodation

They made the call at a meeting with the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA).

DCA wants to merge with University College Falmouth with most of the �25m cost coming from EU funds.

But Save Dartington College opposes EU funding to shift resources from one area of the South West to another.

It says the estimated �5m a year cost to the local economy if the internationally-renowned college moves is unacceptable.

DARTINGTON COLLEGE Founded 1961 637 students 40 staff Specialises in dance, drama and music 'An eccentric sort of a place'

Campaigners, who have collected thousands of signatures in support, also say the local area will suffer from the loss of a major arts organisation which has been in the area since the early 1960s.

Spokesman and former college principal Will Fitzgerald, who met RDA officials, said: "We are totally in favour of Cornwall becoming a thriving place with the university and the arts, but it should not be at the expense of our community and lives being destroyed in south Devon."

The RDA is crucial to the move because it distributes EU convergence funding in the region.

The college move is expected to cost about �25m according to a report by consultants Burns Owens for the RDA, most of which is being sought from EU convergence funding.

'Stitch-up'

Mr Fitzgerald said: "Moving one asset from our part of the South West to another part of the South West is not what this money is for.

"If you are going to spend money on moving it, why not spend money to allow it to stay in Dartington?

"It has been a stitch-up.

"We want a government inquiry that considers all the options, including staying at Dartington."

He added: "We are under no illusions that we are taking on formidable forces, but we are sure that what we are asking for is right."

Dartington Hall Trust, which owns the college site, says that it does not have the �20m needed to update the college's facilities and therefore the college must move or face closure.

Research for the RDA estimated that the south Devon area would lose about �5m a year if the college moves.

An RDA spokesman said: "We have not received a formal request for funding and no decisions have been taken to allocate RDA or European funding to help relocate the college.

"The assessment of any future bid would quite rightly look in detail at the current situation and weigh up the potential economic costs and benefits to the region of supporting the college's relocation to Cornwall or other options."