Funding review hits £42m north Birmingham super college plan
Jan 29 2009 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Post
A proposed £42 million super college planned for north Birmingham has been delayed following a major review of funding.
The college campus, earmarked for the former Express Dairy site in Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, has been caught in a major funding review of further education schemes by the Learning and Skills Council.
A decision on whether to grant “application in principle” approval for the Sutton Coldfield and Matthew Boulton Colleges project has been delayed until March, with no certainty as to what the LSC will decide.
The proposed super-college would incorporate elements of Sutton’s campuses in Great Barr, Castle Vale and Josiah Mason College, in Erdington, which merged with Sutton.
Clive Hill, executive director for IT and estates at Sutton Coldfield College, said: “We remain optimistic. We are caught up in the whole LSC issue, which is a national issue, but we are hopeful that the development will continue and that we won’t experience any significant delays.”
It is envisaged that the 22,000 sq m Riverside site, which will be called the new Josiah Mason campus, will provide vocational courses ranging from engineering and technology, and IT and digital, to hair, beauty and holistic therapies, and media. Work is due to start later this year, with completion scheduled in late 2010 or early 2011.
Mr Hill added: “There are a lot of positives about the scheme. It has got full planning permission, we have got the land to build it on, and we are at an advanced stage with our professional team. So we are continuing with the development ahead of the LSC meeting in March. We are still at the table with the LSC so we feel we are in a better position than other colleges which have not got to this stage.”
The Sutton Coldfield and Matthew Boulton development is one of 18 in the West Midlands to be caught up in the review. It has led to suggestions that a government troubleshooter be appointed to tackle delays in the college building programme.
Mark Haysom, LSC chief executive, said: “There is no freeze on the programme. Currently 253 projects are being funded and, in fact, £110 million has been bought forward from future budgets to accelerate spending.
“Since the programme began under this Government, it has been hugely successful.
‘‘Nearly 700 projects have been agreed at 330 colleges. However, the pace of demand for funding has increased. This is because the scale of ambition and the Government funding they require has grown. In addition, there are early signs that the ability of colleges to raise their own funds for proposed projects is being affected by the downturn. It is for this reason that the LSC, over the next few weeks, is working closely with colleges that have or intend to submit bids to look at the individual current positions before making further funding decisions.
“As a result of this the consideration of a small number of applications that were due for decision – both in principle and in detail – has been deferred from December to March. The LSC will be in contact with colleges that are in the process of submitting or working up bids as part of this process.”
Meanwhile, funding for Warwickshire College’s Rugby campus has been confirmed by the Learning and Skills Council, putting it on schedule to open in September 2010. The development agreement between Warwickshire College and St Modwen, the company developing the site, was signed on January 14. Clearing and construction work starts next month.
