Kirklees College still hopeful new campus will go ahead

Jun 6 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A TOP college official is still optimistic that Huddersfield will get its new campus.

Kirklees College’s planned move to a £70m campus in Chapel Hill has been thrown into doubt because of a funding crisis.

But the college’s vice-principal said yesterday she was “hopeful” the major development would go ahead.

Kirklees College wants to move from New North Road to a new campus on a triangle of land between Manchester Road, Chapel Hill and the River Colne

But the Waterfront Quarter plan has been put in doubt because of a cash crisis at the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which funds further education colleges across the country.

In March the LSC announced that 79 building projects costing £2.7bn – which had been approved in principle – were in doubt as there was only £750m available.

A decision on which plans would go ahead was due yesterday. But the LSC wrote to college heads this week saying there would be no verdict until July.

However, Kirklees College vice-principal Melanie Brooks is still optimistic that the new campus will go ahead.

She said: “Unfortunately the LSC has had to postpone announcements as they are still debating their options, but we are hopeful we will receive their decision in the next few weeks.