The location of a world-renowned language centre in a landmark Birmingham building is under threat, the Post can reveal.

Brasshouse Language Centre, in Sheepcote Street next to Brindleyplace, has been based in its impressive 1930s home for three decades.

But now Birmingham City Council officials - charged with tackling the massive local authority financial deficit - are looking at the future of the centre which currently offers 30 languages.

Although there is no suggestion the language classes themselves will be axed, the news will cause concern in academic and business circles.

The language centre, which caters for 7,000 students a year, is seen as a key facility in offering Birmingham workers skills in the international business market.

It is the country's largest adult education centre, specialising in language courses and services.

Its publicity states: "Our staff and students from all over the world bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our centre and create a truly international atmosphere."

When the Post put it to the city council that it understood the facility might be moved, officials said they believed it did not have "long term viability".

A spokeswoman said: "The Brasshouse and language service is a key service provided by the city council but the building it is currently in does not have long-term viability.

"We are therefore looking at a range of options for housing the service, including refurbishing the current building and looking at alternative venues."

But the council said the scheme was at an early stage and refused to give any more details when asked what would happen to the building in the event of a move, where language courses could relocate to and any financial implications.

The Post understands one option on the table could be to move to the £188 million Library of Birmingham.

The council is grappling with chopping £113 million from its 2015/16 budget and recently announced the library would see hours cut from 73 to 40 a week.

If the Language Centre was to move there, issues surrounding access would have to be dealt with, given many users have jobs.

The three-storey building was once home to the former South Staffordshire Waterworks Company and the firm's coat of arms can still be seen on the front. It was designed by city architects Crouch, Butler & Savage and is made of brick with Portland stone.

Site clearance began in 1931 and the building finished in September 1932 at a cost of £53,000.

In 1985, it passed into the ownership of Birmingham City Council for £500,000 and the Brasshouse Language Centre moved in.

It was inspected by the British Council in 2013, which found its city centre location near Broad Street was beneficial, sitting in the heart of regeneration projects, businesses and the entertainment district.

It found it was used by many foreign nationals, most of whom were Spanish, French, Korean, Italian, Polish Spanish, French, Korean and Italian.

Plans to move the centre were first mooted in 2002 when an idea that would have seen the complex rebuilt was proposed.

The city's then chief education officer, Professor Tim Brighouse, commissioned a feasibility study showing how the Brasshouse might become the Birmingham International Languages Academy but the plan came to nothing.