Few college buildings to go ahead

Barnsley College will be able to complete its rebuild

Only 13 college building projects out of 144 in jeopardy after a funding fiasco can go ahead this year, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) says.

An inquiry into the LSC's college re-building programme in England found that major mistakes had been made.

The projects approved will now have to reduce their costs, the LSC said.

The Association of Colleges says the LSC had a duty towards those colleges which had already put money into projects which must now be abandoned.

The LSC's chief executive Mark Haysom resigned after 144 college building projects which had been approved were thrown into doubt because it did not have the money to fund them.

Sir Andrew Foster's inquiry into the affair on behalf of the government blamed poor management at the LSC and failures at the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills for not spotting the overspend.

Those colleges who can go ahead with their projects are: Barnsley College, Bournville College, Furness College, Hartlepool College of Further Education, Kirklees College, Leyton Sixth Form College, Manchester College - Wythenshawe, North West Kent College, St Helens College, Sandwell College, South Thames College, Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education, Corby, and West Cheshire College.

The LSC said it had selected for approval the projects which would have the biggest impact for learners, employers and communities, as well as considering the current condition of the college's buildings and any impact on associated projects.

Principal of Barnsley College, Colin Booth, has learned his college rebuild can go ahead.

He told the BBC in March that the college was half-demolished and it may go bust.

He said: "We are absolutely delighted with the news and being able to provide a fantastic 21st century building for the town of Barnsley combined with excellent teaching and learning.

"This is also great news for our contractors, suppliers and local economy."

'Disappointment'

The LSC said it had a contingency fund to help those colleges which had incurred costs as a result of projects already begun.

The LSC's new chief executive, Geoff Russell, said of those selected: "These are the projects that will bring the greatest benefit to learners and communities across the country.

"They will have a substantial impact on the education and skills environment in their locality by transforming the condition of college buildings.

"In conjunction with wider regeneration projects to which they are integral, they will help to revitalise communities."

He added that although they provided good value for money already and had secured other sources of funding, the colleges concerned would still be asked to revise their costs down even more.

The Association of Colleges (AoC) said there would be a "great deal of disappointment" among those colleges not receiving funding.

"It is still beholden on the Learning and Skills Council to give colleges as much assistance as they can in managing their estates so that they meet the needs of students, communities and business in the 21st century," the AoC said.

"It needs a funding plan which recognises the additional costs colleges incur in meeting social and economic objectives that government itself sets for them.

"The LSC also has a duty to help those colleges who have sunk their owns funds into preparing for projects that will not now go ahead - over £220m of colleges' own money has been spent in this way."