University hope is dealt harsh blow (From Swindon Advertiser)
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University hope is dealt harsh blow
8:00am Thursday 25th February 2010 in
SWINDON’S hopes of its own university campus were last night dealt a terrible blow when the main backers of the project confirmed they were pulling out.
The University of West England (UWE) blamed Government spending cuts for the decision.
UWE said it could not fund the project because the hoped-for money from the Higher Education Funding Council or the Regional Development Agency (RDA) was no longer available.
The campus was viewed as a golden opportunity to stimulate the town’s economy with hi-tech training facilities, links with businesses and inward investment for jobs.
The UWE decision follows the refusal by the Secretary of State For Communities and Local Government in August last year to grant the university permission to build a campus on land near Coate Water.
John Rushforth, UWE’s deputy vice-chancellor, said: “Of course it’s a disappointment, having worked with folk in Swindon we can see the need, see the potential, we have got a terrific model.
“Although the RDA has said it would be great, it’s just that nobody is prepared to get the money up to make it work.”
After the failure to build at Coate, UWE propossed a campus in the town centre with the backing of the council. This bid was judged good enough to go forward by the Government’s University Challenge bidding programme.
It was one of six university projects identified for funding due to become available later this year.
But Mr Rushforth said this was before the recession and the strain on public finances, which has led to funding cuts.
UWE now plans to launch higher education programmes for the workplace in Swindon and is already in discussion with some of the major employers in the town, although he could not comment on who they are.
During the Coate Water planning inquiry Mr Rushforth did say the university had discussed possible links with 40 employers around Swindon, including Honda, Motorola, Zurich, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Mr Rushforth said: “It won’t be quite the same as we’d originally planned.”
They hope to run higher education schemes within these offices to be paid for by the employer and employee.
Mr Rushforth said the timescale for setting this up would depend very much on the engagement of the business community.
He added: “We’re not walking away from Swindon. On hold is probably how I’d put it.”
Comments(19)
Captain Sensible
says...
8:50am Thu 25 Feb 10
itsamess
says...
8:54am Thu 25 Feb 10
Mr Blackwell
says...
9:03am Thu 25 Feb 10
Home Boy
says...
9:24am Thu 25 Feb 10
Mr Blackwell wrote:How do you figure that? I'd agree that North Star wasn't a particularly attractive site for a Uni. But if we had been brave enough to allow a campus at Coate we could have had one of the most attractive (to potential students) campus universities around. And having the established UWE brand would give it a leg up above many other universities straight away. Oh well, as with everything else we were too slow to capitalise when the chance was there.
Swindon, as it stands, could not properly sustain a university... this is the simple reason why none actually open here.
Bobfm
says...
9:34am Thu 25 Feb 10
bampi
says...
10:03am Thu 25 Feb 10
We have turned away expansion of the football ground, casinos, hotels at the mechanics, race courses at junction 15 M4, BMW headquarters at junction 16 M4, a state of the art Uni campus at Commonhead etc. etc. All could have beens. Now we have what we have. Thanks
politicrat
says...
10:44am Thu 25 Feb 10
I mean look at who you have elected for the last 30 years!
Look at how people of swindon object to plans, initiatives etc...
Being a working class town, it is evident its people will oppose/fear change and without a university and the influx of academics and intellectuals I very much doubt that Swindon will ever be able to call itself a city.
harsh but true
Swindon_AOK
says...
10:46am Thu 25 Feb 10
Quite frankly I'm sick to death of hearing about regeneration plans which only ever fail to ever get built. What a waste of money on public enquiries, mass petitions, etc etc. What a disaster to bulldoze Oakfield campus and remove what campus we had. How f-ing typical of Swindon to get it all wrong, miss the boat and end up with nothing.
This town is a dump and it always will be. There is no hope.
Security word: ball-miss
Swindon_AOK
says...
10:48am Thu 25 Feb 10
Mark my words it will happen.......
politicrat
says...
11:57am Thu 25 Feb 10
Swindon_AOK wrote:It is already in plan! In fact and what the council and its leader are not saying is that Swindon is being prepared to become a "dormitary" town.
And one more point, no doubt that within 5 years the developers will get their way and build houses and a business park on Commonhead, without the university. Mark my words it will happen.......
Let me explain myself: In Swindon it is relatively cheap to buy and live and so the council is trying to cash in on this opportunity by increasing housing thus council tax revenue.
Thanks to its geographic, Swindon is perfectly placed for people to commute from to work in Bristol, London, Oxford, Reading etc...
Swindon is going to be a commuters Town and thats all it deserves to be.
Casual Observer
says...
12:20pm Thu 25 Feb 10
politicrat
says...
12:40pm Thu 25 Feb 10
Casual Observer wrote:hey bully boy, hows tricks?
You'll be moving out then?
Casual Observer
says...
1:18pm Thu 25 Feb 10
politicrat
says...
2:00pm Thu 25 Feb 10
Casual Observer wrote:fortunately not everybody quit a place / job when things go wrong!
Err, perfectly reasonable question here.. since you hate Swindon so much you'll be moving to somewhere nicer?
I dont hate Swindon at all, it is just sad and frustrating to see this town slipping back into the 19th century.
I have the right to hate, and trust me, there is nothing I hate more than our current political class, with a special mention for our local council representatives!
I Too
says...
5:17pm Thu 25 Feb 10
bampi wrote:You forgot to mention the dual carriageway, that was suggested for Covingham Drive.
Home Boy says it all. We have turned away expansion of the football ground, casinos, hotels at the mechanics, race courses at junction 15 M4, BMW headquarters at junction 16 M4, a state of the art Uni campus at Commonhead etc. etc. All could have beens. Now we have what we have. Thanks
If all the wonderful suggestions had been built INSTEAD of more flats, there would have been much less objection.
Unfortunately, any favourable developments always seem to be offered at the detriment of an area deemed desirable to locals.
I doubt anyone would have objected to a University on the Burmah Castrol, or the Oakley Park site site, but priority was given to housing / flats as usual.
Same old tired "vision"
trustnopolitician
says...
5:36pm Thu 25 Feb 10
"We have turned away expansion of the football ground, casinos, hotels at the mechanics, race courses at junction 15 M4, BMW headquarters at junction 16 M4, a state of the art Uni campus at Commonhead etc. etc. All could have beens. Now we have what we have. Thanks"
Incompetence captured in one paragraph - and SBC think they act in Swindon's interests - what a sad bunch they are
Blackmalkin
says...
8:57pm Thu 25 Feb 10
politicrat
says...
8:23am Fri 26 Feb 10
Blackmalkin wrote:exactly! and our council is perfectly aware of it and so made no efforts to improve the Towns image, instead we get more houses and flats because Swindon is cheap to buy whilst easy and quick to commute to Bristol, Reading, London
A dormitory town? Do you think I'd live anywhere near Swindon if I didn't have to work here?
Swindon is just a commuters town, a transit point.
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Ian13 says...
8:24am Thu 25 Feb 10
Schools and colleges in Swindon receive less funding per child than most areas in the country.