Report on future of college's Leasowes site not ready till Sept (From Halesowen News)

Report on future of college's Leasowes site not ready till Sept

10:15am Tuesday 24th July 2012 in News

STOURBRIDGE College is still awaiting the results of a feasibility study into the future of its site at a Halesowen beauty spot - more than three months after it announced it was closing its training facility there.

Students have already left the college’s horticultural centre at the heart of The Leasowes and will have to travel to its new Kidderminster site from September.

Mags Winthrop , Stourbridge College’s Communications Co-ordinator, said the results of the study being carried out by a property consultant, would not be available until September.

A report will then be passed to the board of governors, which will make a decision on the site’s future.

Mrs Winthrop said the feasibility study would look at subjects including the value of land and whether or not it is good time to sell.

Dudley Council has said it is interested in purchasing the site.

But Mrs Winthrop said: “They haven’t formally spoken with us.

“There was an informal conversation with our vice principal to say if we were going to sell it they would be interested in purchasing it.”

The Leasowes centre features a garden with grade one listed wall, mobile buildings, greenhouse and a cafe and was used for students with learning difficulties.

Mrs Winthrop said the centre has not closed as staff are maintaining a presence there.