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| £20MILLION COLLEGE CASH PLEA TO BLAIR |
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HERALD EXPRESS - 26 April 2007
Tony Blair has been called on to stop up to £20 million of taxpayers' cash being 'wasted' to relocate Dartington college to Cornwall.
The Prime Minister was told in the Commons that such a move would have a devastating impact on the South Devon economy.Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, Adrian Sanders, who raised the issue during yesterday's Prime Minister's Questions, pointed out it would cost far less to keep the college at its current location.
Mr Blair has pledged to look into the issue and write to Mr Sanders, who has also tabled a parliamentary petition calling on regeneration chiefs and ministers to work together 'to prevent the potential waste of money and the negative impact the move will have on the South Devon economy'.
It comes in the face of controversial plans to move the arts campus on the Dartington estate, where it has been sited for more than 40 years, to Cornwall.
In Parliament yesterday, Mr Sanders said: "Will the Prime Minister have a word with his further education Minister and Minister with responsibility for regeneration and European funding to ask them to block a potential £20 million of taxpayers' money being used to relocate Dartington college from one part of the south-west region to another?"
Mr Blair said: "I am perfectly happy to look into the matter."
Meanwhile, Mr Sanders has tabled an early day motion, highlighting 'the failure of the Dartington Trust and Dartington College of Arts to secure the future of the college in the South Devon area despite the best efforts of South Hams District Council, Devon County Council and Torbay Unitary Authority'.
It added the cost of the move, to be met by the public, did not 'represent value for money nor assist the region which needs to spend its scarce resources for regeneration projects wisely and cost effectively'.
It noted 'that a substantially lesser figure than £20million would actually keep the college at its current location'.
A spokesman for the Save Dartington College of Arts campaign said: "The campaign committee is delighted one of our local MPs has taken this issue straight to the top of the government.
"The committee has said consistently over the last few months the whole saga of the closure of the college and the proposed merger with Falmouth merits a full investigation at all levels."
Members of the campaign are meeting with the Regional development Agency in Plymouth on May 10.
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