College protest at £5m grant cut

The college is in the middle of a major redevelopment programme

Students and staff from a college in Gloucestershire have taken a protest over reduced funding to Westminster.

On Monday it was announced that a grant of more than £5m from the Learning and Skills Council would be withdrawn from Cheltenham's National Star College.

Staff want the government to honour the funding plan, which was to improve capacity and facilities for students with increasingly severe disabilities.

Local Tory MPs Mark Harper and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown are joining the protest.

A college spokesman said: "We are appealing against the decision and find it extraordinary that a college that plays a key role in specialist provision for disabled learners nationally, regionally and locally should be struck off the list of priorities.

"This is despite the government's commitment to equality for disabled people and their entitlement to appropriate specialist provision."

At Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Cotswolds Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown requested an urgent review of the decision to stop funds to the college.

The Prime Minister said he would ask the Further Education Minister to meet Mr Clifton-Brown and representatives of the National Star College to discuss their case.