Colleges warned of 10-year wait for revamps

Principals across the region are now working on massively scaled-down plans to modernise their facilities after missing out on funds they had been expecting from a Government agency.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was forced to freeze 10 projects across Yorkshire which had already been given approval in principle when it realised it was facing a 2bn shortfall.

Eight of these colleges missed out on funding while just two, Barnsley and Kirklees, had their funding approved. Nationally just 13 schemes out of the 79 that were stopped were actually funded.

Now colleges in Yorkshire which were affected last year are warning they could face a long wait before the plans they developed can be implemented.

Bradford College was one of the biggest losers in the region when the LSC pulled the plug as it had planned to spend 120m creating a new city centre campus.

A spokesman said: "We were dismayed that despite LSC reassurances to the contrary 120m in funding to finance the development of a new campus was put on ice.

"Since then we have invested approximately 800,000 on improving the student experience across our campus. Improvements have included new barrier systems, new reception areas, new cafes, the redecoration of building interiors, new furnishings and new lecture theatres."

Rotherham College's head of customer services Paul Bloor said: "By next year we would have been sat in the first of our new buildings worth 70m. Now it might take five to 10 years but our position is that we want to move on from the national debacle over the way the funding was handled and focus on the future."

Building work started this week on a new 8m building in the town which is set to open next year.

Calderdale College is also pushing ahead with rebuilding projects after it had funding for a 51m redevelopment plan put on hold by the LSC last year.

It has secured finance of 6.6m for a new teaching block, IT resource centre, sports hall, fitness suite, dance studio and all-weather pitch. Building work started last month on the project which is expected to take 12 months to complete.

The college has also received a grant of just over 900,000 from the Skills Funding Agency which is one of two bodies created this year to replace the LSC.

East Riding College's plans for a new 20m town centre campus in Beverley were shelved in the funding fiasco. A spokesman for the college, which also has a base in Bridlington, said it was now looking for other sources of funding to help pay for the move – which could take up to five years. The current campus is the grounds of Longcroft Hall, 10 minutes from the centre of Beverley and with only a single track lane as access. Moving to the town centre would give its students improved transport links as well as new facilities.

Wakefield College missed out on 75m to completely rebuild its Margaret Street campus last year. Now it is working on "scaled-back" plans for the site which have yet to be approved by the Skills Funding Agency or local planners.

A spokesman said: "The new plans will take longer to complete, however, we feel the end result will be a truly world-class learning environment that our staff, students and the people of Wakefield will be immensely proud of."

Grimsby Institute, Franklin College in Grimsby and John Leggott College, in Scunthorpe, also lost LSC funding last year.

Schemes win bids for top priority

Barnsley and Kirklees College were successful in securing funding for their rebuilding plans last year after being chosen among 13 national priority projects.

Demolition work had already begun and 10m had been spent at Barnsley when the LSC put the project on hold while Kirklees College's plan formed a key part of a major regeneration project in Huddersfield – known as the Waterfront Quarter.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and David Cameron both argued for Barnsley to be treated as a priority last year. Its new facility is scheduled to open next summer while construction work is underway on the 74m Kirklees College building which is set to open in 2012.