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The government has been urged to step in at the last minute to save Newton Rigg, Cumbria’s last remaining agricultural college, from closure.
York-based Askham Bryan College, which owns Newton Rigg, revealed it had put the college and its assets on the market from Tuesday (4 May) onwards, prompting huge disappointment in the Cumbrian farming community.
The two farms – Sewborwens Farm in Penrith and Low Beckside Farm in Mungrisdale – have been put up for sale through Savills Estate Agents for £5.5m and £1.725m, respectively.
Farmers Weekly has asked Savills to provide details of the expected market price for the Newton Rigg campus.
Askham Bryan College s Newton Rigg campus goes on market despite protests
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Newton Rigg Campus CUMBRIA’S only agricultural college is to go on the market next week, along with its two farms. The owners of Newton Rigg confirmed that college staff had been informed on Thursday that Newton Rigg campus and Sewborwens Farm, in Penrith, and Low Beckside Farm, in Mungrisdale were being put up for sale through Savills Estate Agents from Tuesday, May 4 onwards. Remaining college staff, it is believed, were being given notice today, while the Farmer Network and the Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers, have been told they must leave by July 31. Bosses, York-based Askham Bryan claim they are legally able to continue with the Newton Rigg Campus closure and sale, and strongly denied asset stripping claims saying they had invested £4.4 million in capital and bore substantial losses supporting the site.
A community organisation fighting the closure of Newton Rigg has said “key questions must still be answered” regarding its closure.
Newton Rigg Ltd, which describes itself as “an expert-led community organisation”, said “key questions must still be answered” regarding Askham Bryan College’s proposed closure and sale of Newton Rigg College’s assets, land and farms.
The York-based college has announced its intention to market the assets for sale from May 4.
A spokesman from Newton Rigg Ltd said: “Thursday’s letter from the chairman of the EFRA Committee to the Secretary of State not only highlighted the wider importance of land-based education but clearly outlined many of the critical questions that must still be answered regarding Askham Bryan College’s proposed sale of Newton Rigg, one of the country’s most important and longest-standing agricultural colleges, as well as the ‘policy mistake’ that placed these precious Cumbrian assets at risk when they w
During the inquiry, Askham Bryan chief executive Tim Whitaker could not respond to MPs’ questions and was asked to provide written evidence following the meeting about the asset deed and financial position of Newton Rigg campus.
Mr Whitaker, who is also principal of Askham Bryan College, said: “We regret the impact of the difficult closure decision on our Newton Rigg campus students and staff and understand that feelings continue to run high within the Cumbrian community and beyond.
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“It is very disappointing that a sustainable solution for Newton Rigg campus has not been found.
“We welcomed discussing the future of national land based education with the committee given our expertise within the sector, and we also welcomed the opportunity to respond to some misleading claims about the closure of our Cumbrian campus.
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