A REPORT is being compiled examining Warrington and Vale Royal’s proposal to close its Hartford campus, as the area’s MP maintains it should say open.

Under the college’s plans revealed earlier this year, the campus would be almost entirely closed from this September, leaving only the ‘engineering and advanced manufacturing’ course operating out of Hartford.

Fifty-six staff could be made redundant as courses move to Winsford and Warrington.

MP Mike Amesbury met with college bosses shortly after the decision was announced in March, and yesterday, Wednesday, met with the Further Education (FE) Commissioner to discuss the next steps.

Mike, MP for Weaver Vale discussed the proposals with Richard Atkins, the FE Commissioner who reports directly to the Minister for FE Anne Milton, who Mike met with last month.

The Commissioner has met with the leadership team and the principal of the college and is compiling a report in relation to the closure proposals.

Mike said: “It was a constructive discussion that demonstrated the strength of feeling from the community against these proposals and the unprofessional way the proposals were belatedly shared with the community.

“Again, I conveyed not only my opinion, but that of residents, current students, former students, staff, unions, the town council, the town mayor and Cheshire West and Chester Council that the Hartford campus should remain open.”

Announcing what the college describes as a ‘re-shape of its Vale Royal estate’ in March, a spokesman for Warrington and Vale Royal College said that the decision was made due to the Hartford campus being ‘seriously under-utilised’.

The spokesman said: “Warrington & Vale Royal College is set to re-shape the Vale Royal estate and operational aspects of the organisation as part of exciting plans for an enhanced post 16 offer for the Winsford community.

“Throughout this first transition year of the merger between Warrington Collegiate and Mid Cheshire College, the college has been committed to improving the learning experience for students across all its campuses whilst carefully monitoring current and prospective student recruitment, and changes to income and costs.

“Significant work has been undertaken to market the curriculum, however, the college’s income is set to reduce and a review of the college’s estate has shown that the college’s Hartford campus is seriously under-utilised.”