STOCKPORT COLLEGES LEFT IN LIMBO BY LSC DECISION

5.55.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Jul 2009

A Stockport college's rebuilding plans have been left stranded after it failed to get onto a list of building projects due to start this year. The news was given to Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell in a letter from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) about the future of the Further Education Capital Programme.

After a financial crisis at the LSC earlier this year a halt was called to all projects. Now just 13 projects have been given the go-ahead, with many others, including Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College, told there is no money, and that they cannot reapply until autumn of 2010 at the earliest.

Andrew Stunell, who has repeatedly criticised the LSC as being "not fit for purpose", has hit out at the decision.

Commenting, Andrew Stunell said:

"This is hugely disappointing news. The LSC has proved incapable of completing even the simplest of tasks. First we had the fiasco over late Education Maintenance Allowances, and now their college re-building programme is falling apart.

"The College was led up the garden path by the LSC, and spent time and money in good faith drawing up a rebuilding scheme. They had a good case to be on the list of key schemes, but instead they have been left stranded, and without any prospect of funding in the future.

"No-one has a good word to say for the LSC, and the one thing the government has got right in this farcical saga is the decision to scrap it - although not until 2010, which is several years too late as far as our local colleges are concerned.

"With no more money left in the pot, Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College will be left in limbo until the next spending review, which won't be until late next year. Even then they will have to get in line with everyone else, cap in hand, and plead for the funding.

"This whole fiasco has proved to be another in a long line of broken promises from this tired and dying government."

ENDS