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Sept 2024
MP ‘disappointed’ by minister's response to Harrogate College rebuild request
Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP has expressed concerns after a minister "failed to address" a request to extend the funding deadline for Harrogate College's rebuild scheme.
Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon wrote to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in July in a bid to extend the deadline for Harrogate College's £22 million redevelopment.
The college, on Hornbeam Park, plans to construct a new main building and a renewable energy skills hub, which has been made possible by a £20m grant from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund.
In order to access the funds, the scheme must be completed by March 31, 2026.
However, the scheme has been delayed and could miss the deadline by six months after Chris Bentley, the owner of Hornbeam Park Developments, launched a judicial review into the college's plans.
Mr Bentley is concerned that the redevelopment will cause "parking chaos" for businesses at Hornbeam Park and has called for a nearby field to be used as a temporary car park.
Mr Gordon requested a meeting with Ms Phillipson to seek an extension to the funding deadline.
But no offer of a meeting was included in the response by skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith, which said the government was “aware of the delays” and then merely stated the governmend "remain concerned" that the project cannot meet its terms and conditions.
She added:
As you will be aware, the Chancellor has announced a Budget for 30 October, followed by a multi-year spending review which will commence in the spring. Decisions on future spend will be subject to spending review settlements.
Baroness Smith's letter to Mr Gordon.
Loss of funding could ‘derail the future of the college’
Mr Gordon replied to Baroness Smith saying the letter “failed to address the core of my request – the need for an extension to the funding deadline”.
The MP said he was “disappointed” by the response, and felt it “lacked clarity” around Labour’s commitment to securing the new college buildings.
Mr Gordon said if the project did not proceed it would be “not just a loss for Harrogate College” but for the “entire community and region” that relies on skills and education provided by the college. He said:
We are not asking for more money - merely the time needed to overcome these planning hurdles and proceed with a project that will benefit countless students as well as the broader economy.
Harrogate College has been a cornerstone of education in the region, offering essential qualifications and training, particularly in areas crucial to combating climate change, such as clean energy and retrofit skills. The delay and potential loss of funding threatens to derail the future of the college.
Mr Gordon reiterated his request for a meeting with Ms Phillipson to discuss the deadline extension “as a matter of urgency”.
His latest letter added:
Whilst I understand that the government will make no commitments to future spending, can you commit to ensuring that this project will keep its current funding?
To be clear, if the new Labour government does not grant an extension and instead seeks to claw back funding it will be catastrophic for students and future generations of students in the local area. Further, it will hinder our local economy and lead to fewer opportunities for all.
Mr Gordon's response to Baroness Smith.
The Stray Ferret has followed the saga extensively.
Mr Bentley's concerns about the project stem from his belief the college had not arranged adequate parking provisions suring construction. He said at the time:
I am not objecting to the new college – I applaud the fact that they are replacing it with an all new facility, fit for purpose for the next generation.
What I am objecting to is the displacement of car-parking without thought to the businesses here at Hornbeam. They are also encouraging their car-users to park at the rail halt or around the nearby residential area.
It’ll cause chaos to the businesses here – there is no extra available parking on the site and the Hornbeam Park railway station car park it always full.
When the project was originally proposed we were given to understand that a new college car-park would be rebuilt on the old building’s site.
Now we find that they are reducing the allocation by a third from 242 currently available down to 88, based on a one-day survey taken as we came out of covid.
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