Bidders for Newton Rigg do not meet criteria
22 December 2020 |
(Photo: Cumbria YFC)
Newton Rigg College is set to close for good next year after none of the site s possible new owners were able to meet the criteria, a review has concluded.
The agricultural college was already earmarked to close in July 2021 after the present owners confirmed that it would no longer deliver education from the site.
Askham Bryan College said declining student numbers at the Penrith campus had left it with significant financial losses.
The government s Further Education Commissioner (FEC) along with Askham Bryan College had explored options for finding a potential new owner for the site.
FIGHTING ON: Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and the Border Penrith and the Border s MP has said that he will not give up the fight to save Newton Rigg College, after a recent strategic review of its future. Neil Hudson has vowed to continue to work towards saving the Penrith college, following the completion last week of the strategic review into its options. The review, coordinated by the Further Education Commissioner s office, concluded that neither of the bidding parties were able to meet the expectations and criteria set by the review in order to secure the long-term success of a potential new college or provider for students in the future.
REJECTED: Group trying to save Newton Rigg College have bid rejected A CROSS-INDUSTRY group which mounted a multi-million pound rescue bid for Newton Rigg College said it was deeply disappointed to find out it had been rejected. Known as Newton Rigg Limited, the group submitted its vision for the Newton Rigg College, earmarked for closure next summer, to the Commissioner for Further Education. The board have now learnt their bid has been unsuccessful. Reacting to the announcement, Andrew Cobb, Chairman, and the Directors of Newton Rigg Ltd said: We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Strategic Review team have rejected our proposals for the future of Newton Rigg College.
REJECTED: Group trying to save Newton Rigg College have bid rejected A CROSS-INDUSTRY group which mounted a multi-million pound rescue bid for Newton Rigg College said it was deeply disappointed to find out it had been rejected. Known as Newton Rigg Limited, the group submitted its vision for the Newton Rigg College, earmarked for closure next summer, to the Commissioner for Further Education. The board have now learnt their bid has been unsuccessful. Reacting to the announcement, Andrew Cobb, Chairman, and the Directors of Newton Rigg Ltd said: We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Strategic Review team have rejected our proposals for the future of Newton Rigg College.
MEETING: Cllr Tom Wells, Roger Bevan, Angela Joyce and Cllr Beverley Nielsen at their meeting PROGRESS is being made in finding a solution to save a county college from closure. The management of Malvern Hills College has been holding regular meetings with a group of local councillors, academics and business figures to try and prevent the planned 2021 closure of the college, announced last month by WCG. Since then, chairman of the Malvern Hills College SOS Task Group, Beverley Nielsen and Cllr Tom Wells, founder of the Task Group, met with Angela Joyce, CEO and deputy principal of WCG, Roger Bevan on December 14 to discuss possible solutions.