Post-16 objections dismissed as council gets ready to give final approval
RUTLAND County Council is set to rubber-stamp plans for a new college after rejecting a final wave of objections.
County councillors will discuss the plans to create Rutland County College with Casterton Business and Enterprise College as the admissions authority at a special meeting on Monday.
They have already pledged their support at a meeting in March but the council had to put the proposals out for a statutory notice period.
During that time the council received seven objections but in a report to the meeting, the council rejects them all.
Carol Chambers, director of children's services, has recom-mended councillors approve the proposals to extend the 11 to 16 age range at Casterton to 11 to 19, so it can take post-16 students.
Prof Mike Petterson, chairman of governors at Catmose College, wrote an objection on behalf of the college.
In his letter, he said the statutory consultation was not carried out correctly; the council had not properly considered alternative proposals; the council had not properly considered Uppingham and Catmose for the role of admissions authority and the views of Catmose College and Uppingham College had been ignored.
He was also concerned the student numbers predicted in the business plan were too optimistic and over estimating numbers would leave a shortfall in funding.
Prof Petterson said: "People feel very strongly the council has lost its moral argument because if you look at the consultation and the documentation, the model they have presented is not very popular.
"In spite of this, the council is ploughing on regardless."
In the report, the council dismisses the objections by Prof Petterson and six other people.
The report says the consultation was "more than adequate and more than fulfilled the council's statutory obligation to carry out consultation" and that alternative options were "fully considered".
It adds the council did not consider Uppingham or Catmose "appropriate lead partners" because they were reluctant to commit money to the project.
Prof Petterson said: "I find it ironic that our Conservative council don't want to form a college coalition while their parent government in Westminster is willing to reach out its hand to people who think quite differently."
From September the new college will operate at The Rutland College site in Barleythorpe Road, with some courses offered at Casterton.
The council wants to build a new college by 2013.
In March, the council agreed to become a member of the Rutland County College Trust, which will be responsible for the running of the college, and to meet any funding shortfall.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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