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14
Oct
Minister's response gives little comfort to Harrogate College campaigners
The £22 million redevelopment of Harrogate College appears more doubtful following a lukewarm government response to questions asked by Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal MP Tom Gordon.
The project, which entails the construction of a new main building and a renewable energy skills hub, was made possible by a £20 million grant from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund (FE CTF).
To access the funds, the project needed to be completed by the end of March 2026.
But the whole scheme was put on hold following a legal challenge by Harrogate property developer Chris Bentley, who owns most of Hornbeam Park.
Mr Bentley believes the rebuild will cause parking problems on Hornbeam Park, and says that the old buildings should be repurposed and a new college built on an adjoining field owned by the Department for Education.
The delay to the scheme means the deadline may be missed, disqualifying it from the funding.
Mr Gordon has supported the campaign to get the college rebuilt, and has been lobbying for an extension to the deadline.
Last week, he put questions in Parliament to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, asking if she would assess the potential merits of extending the deadline.
Responding on her behalf, Stephen Morgan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, appeared to simply reiterate the original terms of the grant, saying nothing to suggest that a deadline extension might be forthcoming.
He said:
Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.
The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.
Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS [college capital loans scheme] does not begin until works start on their capital projects.
Mr Gordon said last month that he was “disappointed” by the government’s response to his written request for a meeting with Ms Phillipson to discuss the issue.
It was skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith who replied that time, offering no meeting, but saying that the government was “aware of the delays” and remained “concerned" that the project could not meet its terms and conditions.
Responding to Mr Morgan's reply in the Hosue of Commons last week, Mr Gordon told the Stray Ferret:
It’s disappointing that the Government are not willing to commit to ensuring that education and skills are properly invested in. Education is so important. It is a long-term investment in our young people that will pay dividends. To not invest is madness.
Harrogate College needs this funding to ensure that it can continue to provide education and skills for people across Harrogate and the wider region.
The latest flat response from the government is likely to fuel campaigners’ fears that the scheme may be sidelined by the government amid strong pressure to cut costs.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has previously warned that “difficult decisions” will have to be made on October 30 to plug a £22 billion “black hole” in the UK’s finances left by the last government.
Mr Gordon also asked last week what discussions Ms Phillipson had had with local authorities and other stakeholders on delays to the rebuild.
Mr Morgan replied:
Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.
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