Tesco / ASDA !!!

[Harry]

...... there is the question of why the CAMSFC management had not applied for funding 5 or 10 years ago if the buildings are in such disrepair...

They did apply.

[Steptoe and Son]

Dave, it's nothing to do with not believing anything you write, you shouldn't be so touchy.  What was your role in connection with colleges? 

[Dave]

You're right Steptoe - I have no connection with camsfc.  My knowledge of this subject, such as it is, stems from my work in colleges until my retirement about three years ago.

One of the problems with this thread is that it is now so long that it is tending sometimes to go over old ground. However, by using the search function I have unearthed the relavant posts, which were back in August:

I may be able to throw a bit of light on the issue of the funding application by camsfc to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2008. AFAIK it wasn't really a missed deadline at all. What happened was that the LSC suddenly discovered they had massively over-committed capital funding to college building projects all over the country. That is, they promised far more money than they actually had! It was quite a scandal at the time - there were many colleges whose project planning was at an advanced stage, who were suddenly told they couldn't have any capital funding after all! I gather Aquinas only just got under the wire. This was all very sudden, and until then there was no reason for any college to believe that funds were about to run out. So I think the cock up, if there was one, was probably at the LSC.  

This is true, we did a lot of work with colleges and huge swathes of them got cancelled, a lot after significant sums were spent on design fees. The colleges were led to believe that the money was just a formality. Head of LSC lost his jobs, loads of poorer colleges effectively wasted a load of money. A dreadful state of affairs.  

We did the acoustics on Acquinas FWIW

And as you don't seem to want to believe anything I write, here's a link to the LSC's Wikipedia entry:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_and_Skills_Council. Scroll down to the section entitled 'Economic Mismanagement in College Rebuilding'.

Having built college buildings myself, I have to say that what camsfc are trying to achieve is far from an 'easy option'.  If there had been capital funding still available from government sources, they would have gone for it - they'd have been crazy not to! 

[Miss Marple]

Steptoe you have got it in one!  The CAMSFC mins show that the college was in talks even before the required time to place a bid with the LSC    For nearly 7 years the college has been throwing money at land agents this has been going on for Years and the College wanted to keep it a secret.  Like I have always said ! If it's such a great idea and one that will benefit our community and future generations why are CAMSFC not shouting from the roof Tops about how great it is.  Instead we have a corporation that has consistently refused to meet with local residents to talk about the proposals .

[Steptoe and Son]

I can promise you, Steptoe, that there is currently no government funding available for major capital projects at colleges. Any colleges doing major buidling projects right now will have funded them by borrowing and/or selling off land or buildings.

To answer Miss M's question (previous post): I'm happy to engage in polite and rational discussion, but I won't take part in a slanging match.

Dave, I trust you'll understand if I disregard your promise on the basis that you have no professional involvement with CAMSFC or the relevant Government departments.  Re your point about current investment, there is the question of why the CAMSFC management had not applied for funding 5 or 10 years ago if the buildings are in such disrepair...mismanagement?  Or, perhaps they knew there was a supermarket bid in the offing so they went for the easy option...again, mismanagement?

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for the information Susan I just wondered because it had gone a little quiet.  But there again so has the NO campaign due to us waiting for the next phase which will be the submission of the application to SMBC.   Once the submission is in MIA will be more active than ever because it will be then that we see what the proposals are and how some of our so called scaremongering may in fact come to light.
I am not sure if this had been reported but a recent  developer had asked to put a small supermarket on the site along with 50 houses they offered 8.5 million but this was rejected. 
Information such as this is quite worrying because if a developer was offering 8.5 million for a relatively small supermarket with 50 residential properties on the site and was refused, one has to now question how large is the proposed supermarket going to be if they are offering in around 14 million.
MIA will be back out on the streets in Feb as we have said before, nothing would be known about this proposal even NOW ! If MIA had not had a leak from inside the college, the first the community would have known was a notice pinned to a lamp post. 

[Susan]

Miss Marple just to let you know the yes campaigne is still going.

[Miss Marple]

I agree with Marplemum. As a newcomer to the area, I've used this website to find out about my new hometown and what's important to the people who live here, with the intention of seeing what part I can play in the community. However, despite a great job by Mark in trying to get people to stick to the point and engage in robust discussion, it's so disappointing to read people trying to belittle others still and being unable to tolerate opinions different to their own. I think I'll give this site a rest for a while as it just makes me despair of the attitudes some people have toward others. We try to teach young people to stand up for what they believe in but to do so respectfully in the knowledge that everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is the example we set for them. What a shame a few people dominate this site and feel comfortable telling others what they are best placed to do and they are blackballed by the community.

you don't have to avoid the site just the  ASDA and Tesco topic   Welcome to MARPLE !

[Miss C]

I agree with Marplemum. As a newcomer to the area, I've used this website to find out about my new hometown and what's important to the people who live here, with the intention of seeing what part I can play in the community. However, despite a great job by Mark in trying to get people to stick to the point and engage in robust discussion, it's so disappointing to read people trying to belittle others still and being unable to tolerate opinions different to their own. I think I'll give this site a rest for a while as it just makes me despair of the attitudes some people have toward others. We try to teach young people to stand up for what they believe in but to do so respectfully in the knowledge that everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is the example we set for them. What a shame a few people dominate this site and feel comfortable telling others what they are best placed to do and they are blackballed by the community.

[Marplemum]

Although I don't post very often on this website; mainly as I don't want to enter into a slanging match with Miss M, I do try to read much of what is written (whilst trying to ignore the point scoring that seems to dominate the discussion) however I do feel I have to write to support much of what Dave says and to defend his right to say it. I'm sure Dave is more than capable of defending himself so I will leave it up to him to reply.

[amazon]

I can promise you, Steptoe, that there is currently no government funding available for major capital projects at colleges. Any colleges doing major buidling projects right now will have funded them by borrowing and/or selling off land or buildings.

To answer Miss M's question (previous post): I'm happy to engage in polite and rational discussion, but I won't take part in a slanging match.

I bet you don't !  It would be very difficult for you to come face to face with the people who you think should suffer if a supermarket came feet away from their front/back door.  Because Dave that's the reality, some of the effected houses butt up to the development site.  I suggest you have a walk around the area not a drive by .  Tell you what,  go and knock on a few doors and explain your reasoning to people who have worked hard all their life and continue to work hard to keep their property in these economic times.  Tell them how you think that they should allow their quality of life, devaluation of their property, additional pollution and increased traffic so that a private/public college can upgrade their facilities.
For goodness sake CAMSFC had the land and buildings given to them and should have maintained them to a higher standard.  Even college Min's see Governors questioning how little had been spent on maintenance at the Hibbert Lane campus and share their concerns with Ms Cassidy (thought you had read these)
So Dave I agree you are best placed to remain an unknown person, avoiding meeting the people directly effected , but a word to the wise , get out of that armchair in your ivory tower from time to time and remember to keep your Rose tinted specks crystal clear so that you are ready when you have the courage to come to the MIA stall to enlighten the unenlightened 

Wow that's telling him .come on dave your turn .

[Miss Marple]

I can promise you, Steptoe, that there is currently no government funding available for major capital projects at colleges. Any colleges doing major buidling projects right now will have funded them by borrowing and/or selling off land or buildings.

To answer Miss M's question (previous post): I'm happy to engage in polite and rational discussion, but I won't take part in a slanging match.

I bet you don't !  It would be very difficult for you to come face to face with the people who you think should suffer if a supermarket came feet away from their front/back door.  Because Dave that's the reality, some of the effected houses butt up to the development site.  I suggest you have a walk around the area not a drive by .  Tell you what,  go and knock on a few doors and explain your reasoning to people who have worked hard all their life and continue to work hard to keep their property in these economic times.  Tell them how you think that they should allow their quality of life, devaluation of their property, additional pollution and increased traffic so that a private/public college can upgrade their facilities.
For goodness sake CAMSFC had the land and buildings given to them and should have maintained them to a higher standard.  Even college Min's see Governors questioning how little had been spent on maintenance at the Hibbert Lane campus and share their concerns with Ms Cassidy (thought you had read these)
So Dave I agree you are best placed to remain an unknown person, avoiding meeting the people directly effected , but a word to the wise , get out of that armchair in your ivory tower from time to time and remember to keep your Rose tinted specks crystal clear so that you are ready when you have the courage to come to the MIA stall to enlighten the unenlightened 

[Dave]

I can promise you, Steptoe, that there is currently no government funding available for major capital projects at colleges. Any colleges doing major buidling projects right now will have funded them by borrowing and/or selling off land or buildings.

To answer Miss M's question (previous post): I'm happy to engage in polite and rational discussion, but I won't take part in a slanging match.

[Steptoe and Son]

Steptoe, I entirely agree that  the improvement of educational facilities shouldn't depend on flogging land to a supermarket, but here in the real world I'm afraid that, sadly, it does :-(

Dave, again we have your opinion masquerading as the facts in 'the real world'.  I get that you were in education now as you do try to speak to people as if they are children .  However, you are wrong and how do I know this?  Because every other educational facility across the country that has invested in it's facilities hasn't flogged land to a supermarket.

[Miss Marple]

Steptoe, I entirely agree that  the improvement of educational facilities shouldn't depend on flogging land to a supermarket, but here in the real world I'm afraid that, sadly, it does :-(

No ! That's the world according to someone who doesn't live near the site, who does not know the area and does not understand or even wants to speak to the people that this development will effect and sadly someone who have been a governour and  aspires to still influence those of that circle.   Well Dave you have just been 'BLACK BALLED' by most of this community. 
Just a question? Why have you not responded to me ?