Simon Burns

Conservative Party | Chelmsford West

Government allocation of funding for capital schemes for Further Education Colleges sinks the Chelmsford College project

1 July 2009

Commenting, Simon Burns MP said:

"Chelmsford College had an ambitious and exciting scheme to move from its current site in Moulsham Street to a new purpose built site near the Essex Records Office, which would have created an exciting centre of excellence for further education in the town.

"Sadly, due to Government cutbacks and the Learning and Skills Council, they have lost out on any funding for this scheme, which almost certainly means it will not be able to go ahead. On top of that they will have lost about £850,000 on planning and designing the project, though hopefully they will be able to get some of that investment back.

"This is a tragedy for the town and is due to Government cutbacks.

"It is bitterly ironic that this Government has banged on for a decade about 'education, education, education', yet when an excellent scheme is devised to put Chelmsford at the forefront of the provision of further education it is stymied by Government cutbacks even though they are prepared to provide funding for other schemes in other parts of the country.

"In future, when I hear in the House of Commons, Minister's banging on about investing in further education their words will sound rather hollow to me given what has happened to Chelmsford College.

"Chelmsford College will now have to revert to Plan B in which they will refurbish and rebuild those parts of the college that are most in need of investment.

"Although this is welcome, it is not quite the same as realising a dream for a state of the art, purpose build campus that would have brought so many benefits to mid Essex and future generations of young people and students."