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| COLLEGE MOVE FUNDING DECISION DAY LOOMS |
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HERALD EXPRESS - 16 February 2008
An all-important decision to fund Dartington College's controversial move to Cornwall will take place on Monday.
The South West of England Rural Development Agency meets then to rethink the decision to hand over £3.5million, to make the move possible, which it made almost a month ago.But campaigners reckon the RDA members will simply rubber-stamp the original decision and are putting their faith in a High Court judicial review they hope will bring the whole question of a college move grinding to a halt.
Campaigners are appealing to Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren for support in the battle to keep the world famous art college in Dartington.
The top actress who won an Oscar for her Hollywood portrayal of The Queen in the film of the same name is among a bevy of film and music stars who campaigners are contacting to try to enlist their help.
Campaign members have produced 1,000 copies of their own protest booklet entitled A National Treasure in Peril, detailing the importance of the college to Dartington and the surrounding area and their arguments detailing why it should not be moved or closed.
They intend to send them out to ministers and Government officials involved in education and the arts in the UK.
"The Prime Minister will get to see it eventually," said leading campaign member Tom Gloyns.
Meanwhile, he said, the campaign has already got support from celebrities like Paul Merton and Richard Briers and was writing to other stars like Jools Holland and the rock group Radiohead.
The governors of both Dartington College of Arts and University College Falmouth are currently considering a merger which would move the entire Dartington campus to Cornwall, leaving a financial black hole in the South Devon economy reckoned to amount to almost £5million a year.
The RDA's £3.5million, along with another £15.6million from the European convergence fund, is vital to funding the college move.
Last month the RDA board members agreed its share of the cash, but were then forced to think again and hold Monday's meeting after comments from the board chairman Janet Henderson, claiming the college had already been given notice to quit Dartington Hall Estate, turned out to be false.
Her comments are one of the foundations of the campaigners' judicial review bid which is set to go off to the High Court any day now on the basis that the board was making its decision while in the possession of misinformation.
Dartington barrister Simon Cassell explained that a company called Save Dartington College Ltd had been set specially to lodge the High Court bid.
"I am confident that we have got good grounds to be allowed a judicial review," he added.
Mr Gloyns said he was concerned that the RDA was simply going to 'make the same decision for different reasons' when it meets on Monday.
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