COLLEGE FUNDING-SHREWSBURY LOSES £70m
COLLEGE FUNDING-SHREWSBURY LOSES £70m
I cannot agree with Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski’s version of events in the Chronicle on February 26th 2009, concerning the decision to review further education capital spending by the Learning and Skills Council. I was closely involved in the co-location debate and the real facts are as follows.
The Government had agreed that some £70m would be spent on building the proposed new college at London Road. That money was allocated for Shrewsbury, all we had to do was agree to that spending. The colleges, after spending several £m on a feasibility study, had recognised that the outdated current buildings had to replaced to provide a facility fit for the 21st Century.
Where are we now? Young people at both colleges are dropping out at an alarming rate at the beginning of courses due to the lack of modern facilities, cramped accommodation and outdated equipment. In a recession education is absolutely vital, yet what options are we giving these young people, except leave our town to seek more modern education.
What impression does this outdated education offer give to businesses seeking to re-locate to Shrewsbury? How will local residents currently looking for work feel when they realise we have turned down £70m of investment in Shrewsbury with all the employment that could have generated? How many hundreds of jobs would the building work alone have created?
I was bitterly disappointed when our MP, Daniel Kawczynski appeared to just listen to a relatively narrow section of the community when he so stridently opposed the co-location proposals. The result is a disaster for the people of Shrewsbury. His actions directly contributed to the loss of £70m of investment, jobs and educational opportunity.
Cllr Jon Tandy
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Shrewsbury & Atcham
3 Snowdrop Close
Shrewsbury
SY3 7TU
