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| 400 MARCH TO SAVE COLLEGE |
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HERALD EXPRESS
An army of around 400 people took their battle to save Dartington College of Arts to the streets of Totnes.
Bells were ringing as the protesters got their message across loud and clear to give the town a 'wake up call' over the controversial plans.Organisers of the event on Saturday say it would be 'disastrous' to move the college campus to Cornwall, maintaining it will leave a multi-million pound hole in the area's economy.
And they were supported by people in their masses, who marched from The Plains to The Rotherfold with a Samba band in tow.
Shopkeepers came out on to the street, ringing bells and sounding their support as the protest went past. Former Dartington tutor Sam Richards, sacked after he wrote an article criticising the college principal Professor Andrew Brewerton, pledged to continue fighting the proposals - even if the college gets transferred to Falmouth.
In a speech to the crowd gathered at The Rotherfold, Mr Richards said: "I would argue that closing Dartington will never be done and dusted.
"Even if they go down to Falmouth in 2010 we can always bring it back.
You can talk about relocation and a merger, but the college is being closed - they cannot invent a word to get around that.
"The special qualities of Dartington will be lost in Falmouth."
Mr Richards, who worked at the college for 30 years, said he hoped the march had 'woken' people up in Totnes and made them realise the huge impact losing the college will have on the whole town.
He added: "There were plenty of local people who got involved, not just students.
"It was extremely noisy which is what we wanted.
"The march was aimed at the town and to wake up Totnes to the issues and I think that happened.
"The loss to the town in the first year has been put at £4.7million and I think initially that figure may even rise, so it would be disastrous.
"The message from the march was very strong - we're determined not to let this happen.
"I still think there may be a little way to go, but this march was a really magnificent way to start."
Mr Richards said they are still hoping to speak to Ben Bradshaw, the regional minister for the South West, to get him to recognise this is 'the most important educational story' in the region.
And plans are also afoot to get together representatives from all the elected bodies to discuss the way to save the college.
Leading the march was mayor of Totnes David Horsburgh, who wanted to remind people the closure would mean the 'cultural heart' would be torn out of the town.
He said: "I think the march really brought the message home.
"Lots of people stopped and watched what was going on.
"Dartington College of Arts has been such a big part of Totnes for such a long time, and provides such a stimulus to the economy."
He believes the funding bodies will have to sit up and take notice if such public outcry continues.
And Totnes Town Council is still confident it will get the decision deferred for a year so a public inquiry can be carried out.
But college governors are pressing ahead with plans for the move claiming various reports have made it clear that it is not a viable option for the college to stay at Dartington, where it is facing a student accommodation crisis and owns none of the buildings it uses.
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