Marple in Action RALLY 10th Sept 2pm Memorial Park

[Henry_]

I hope to be there. Will be wearing Green for Yes. Can all the No campaigners wear red then we all know who is who? 

[sooty2]

Read post 15. It says everyone is WELCOME!

[mum_of_2]

Only two days to go to the rally in the park.  Please inform as many people as you can as this is our chance to ask questions.   The Rally on Sat is  only the third time we have come together as a group but more high profile things are being  planned  .  All MIA ask is for your continued support ,  its going to be a long journey and to once again thank you all for supporting your community.   SEE YOU ALL SAT 2pm IN THE MEMORIAL PARK

LETS HOPE THE SUN SHINES  and that I win the Euro Millions on Friday and purchase the college Sat  Then it can be a PARTY IN THE PARK !!! ALL DRINKS ON ME 

Seeeing as we are not getting a decent response from anyone on here....is EVERYONE welcome? including the YES campaigners....seeing as you say its an open microphone....we wondered how open it would be?

[Miss Marple]

Only two days to go to the rally in the park.  Please inform as many people as you can as this is our chance to ask questions.   The Rally on Sat is  only the third time we have come together as a group but more high profile things are being  planned  .  All MIA ask is for your continued support ,  its going to be a long journey and to once again thank you all for supporting your community.   SEE YOU ALL SAT 2pm IN THE MEMORIAL PARK

LETS HOPE THE SUN SHINES  and that I win the Euro Millions on Friday and purchase the college Sat  Then it can be a PARTY IN THE PARK !!! ALL DRINKS ON ME 

[Dave]

it's. A short term solution that will end up costing more.

It's exactly the opposite of that.  It's a long-term plan.   This is because the upfront capital costs of extending and modernising Buxton Lane will take all of the £12 million realised by the sale of Hibbert Lane, and no doubt the college will have to borrow more.  Offset against that, the college will reduce its sites from three to two.  That should generate a big recurrent saving in annual running costs stretching for years into the future. Colleges typically spend about 12.5% of turnover on premises costs.  The turnover of camsfc is about £15.5 million, so that suggests they could be spending just under £2 million a year on premises costs - probably more because most of their buildings are former schools, which were not well built and are relatively costly to heat and maintain.  So if they close a campus they should save roughly £650,000 (one third of £2 million) every year.   That's useful money which can be ploughed back in to teaching our kids! 

I think it's you that's got yer sums wrong, Duke 

[Duke Fame]

With respect Dave, we realise the college may have got it's sums wrong & need to realise it's assets. It also occurs to me that it's. A short term solution that will end up costing more. As a labour man you'll recognise that sort of problem ;-)

It's also not my problem, I don't want the quality of life affected just because of poor college mgt

[Dave]

I cannot tell a lie - I have been a college governor, though not at this college.  I have no connection with camsfc, apart from two of my kids having been students there a few years ago.

However, rest assured Miss M that I'm not at all interested in winding you or anyone else up.      The reason I post on here is that this debate seems to be dominated by argument about the pros and cons of having a big supermarket on Hibbert Lane.  Fair enough, and that discussion will no doubt continue.  Personally I don't have a very strong view either way on that, although I might if I lived close to the site.      

What I am trying to do is tackle this issue from a slightly different angle, and to put the case that what the college is doing is entirely for the long-term benefit of our childrens' and grandchildren's education.  At the same time, I'm also attempting to correct the repeated inaccuracies which keep creeping in - such as descriptions of the college as a 'private company', assertions that it is in financial difficulties (it isn't, as anyone can see from documents posted on its website), and suggestions that it might close both Marple campuses and move away altogether (so unlikely that it can safely be ruled out). 

[Miss Marple]

Give over Dave !  Private Public just a play on words , all I know was it was ours now it's not and it's not even for our childrens education. I am sure you just come on here to wind me up lol.     I can tell you have been a governor you cheeky thing 

[SkyGuy]

Inflammatory post overwritten. Admin.

[Duke Fame]

Inflammatory post overwritten. Admin.

[Dave]

In reply to Dave's post
1  CAMSFC is NOT a charitable body

Yes it is.  All sixth form colleges are exempt charities, as laid down by the Further and Higher Education Act (1992)  That means they are automatically charities, without the need to register with the Charity Commission.  So are the various new kinds of non-local authority state school - academies, free schools etc.

2 There are only 2 elected governors (1 student 1 parent governor) the rest are all appointed by the other governors.

Members of quangos and other such public bodies are not normally elected.  They are appointed, either by the government or one of its agencies, or (in the case of college corporations) by the corporation itself. 

3 They don't publish minutes on a timely basis, the latest ones are 6 months old.

Tut tut  .  However, some kind of time lag is always necessary, as the minutes cannot be released until they have been formally approved at the next meeting - so you are always one meeting behind.  But six months does seem excessive.

4  They seem to be accountable to no one apart from the Secretary of State for Education.

Indeed.

That doesn't seem to be how a "Public Body" should behave.

Shocking isn't it, but these are the times we live in.....   

[Victor M]

In reply to Dave's post
1  CAMSFC is NOT a charitable body
2 There are only 2 elected governors (1 student 1 parent governor) the rest are all appointed by the other governors.
3 They don't publish minutes on a timely basis, the latest ones are 6 months old.
4  They seem to be accountable to no one apart from the Secretary of State for Education.

That doesn't seem to be how a "Public Body" should behave.

[Miss Marple]

Thank you to all who have been delivering leaflets   Let's hope the weather is nice, fingers crossed 

[JMC]

How many people are going to save thousands of pounds a year by having a new supermarket on Hibbert Lane ?

People who walk & do all their weekly shopping at the Co-op would make a big saving I agree.


Also how many dedicate Tesco Club Card or Sainsbury’s Nectar Card Holders would suddenly switch their
weekly shop to Asda ?

I personally would happily forego the £2 a week saving, rather than have the increased traffic and to
stop the detrimental effect it would have on the centre of Marple.

But I suppose it all depends what your priorities are in Life !!!!

I feel that those that would save money are the ones who need the money the most ie.low income. Perhaps lone parents in particular. I shop at one of the 'big 4' online (not Asda) but I would change to Asda if it was local, I only use the one I do as it's online delivery is better in my experience. I also would love to be able to buy Asda clothes locally. I do use local shops alot too and that wouldn't change. We would probably use the Co-op less but that is about it. I know it is more ethical but we do plenty of other ethical things.

I would be interested in whether the traffic would be hugely increased or if the reduced people going out of marple and large number of Tesco/asda delivery vans always about would make it the same as it is now.

I also worry about this being a 'class war' as someone mentioned on another post. It's abit uncomfortable in many ways reading some posts and wondering what was deleted! I would be probably more on the against side (I'm not actually on either 'side' as such) if they were more sympathetic to those on a low income such as they realise it would be great for young families etc and not just get the bus, move out of Marple etc. I myself am on the fence because although it is alright for me, having the choice to do shopping elsewhere, I can still empaphise with those who have less choice and on low income, i feel alot of people cannot or will not do that.

[JMC]

The issue about the gifted land being sold off is surely a red herring too, if MIA are indeed happy for it to be sold for housing?


So MIA do not mind the land being sold for other purposes, despite it being gifted as an educational site.

This is a really good point.