A COLLEGE merger in the North East has been put on hold after tensions between the two institutions were revealed.
NCG, the parent group of Newcastle College, had hoped to merge with Northumberland College in 2012, but Further Education Minister John Hayes has now delayed the decision.
The Journal understands the delay is a result of concerns expressed by MPs and other parties to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which has the final say on the merger.
An update on the plans presented to Northumberland College’s board of governors last week and leaked to The Journal yesterday sheds light on serious concerns over the merger.
The report claims communication has broken down between the management at the colleges regarding correspondence with Mr Hayes and the Skills Funding Agency.
It also claims NCG hopes to sell off the Ashington and Kirkley Hall campuses despite an earlier report, commissioned by both colleges, saying Kirkley Hall had the potential to become a “substantial player in the land based sector”.
The new college could pull out of agricultural training altogether, the report says, and move to a new site in Cramlington.
The report says: “It also calls into question whether or not NCG are committed to serving the education and training needs of Northumberland, particularly in the Ashington area, but also in the land based sector which is incredibly important to the county and rural economy.”
Last night Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery said: “I had a meeting with John Hayes and he confirmed he is delaying a decision until a later point so he can gather additional information.
