There are many factors that have an influence on a local area and community, and education is one of the key points. While this is mainly focused on the quality of primary and secondary schools, with Oftsed reports often being hugely important, there is also a need to think about further education facilities. Further education facilities help ensure young adults stay because it gives them a chance to advance their education and develop their career. Further education can also be important for local businesses because it provides the platform for employees to develop skills while enhancing the local workforce.
Stockport College may have endured some difficult times but like many parts of the town, there is a chance of a brighter future. Stockport is on the up and plans that could see Stockport College relocate to the bus station in town could see the educational facility transformed, which will benefit the entire community. There are proposals in place to make massive changes at Daw Bank; part of the £41m Stockport Transport Interchange. While formal planning application is yet to be submitted, there is hope that this could lead to big changes in the area.
Stockport College is looking to change and develop
This is because it is not just Stockport College driving the change, it looks as though Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the local council are heavily involved with this plan and would like to see it come to fruition. The council has paid for the £500,000 feasibility work fee and this will determine if the college can be placed into the plans; and it is expected that the college will repay this money at a later date.
There are a couple of plans in place for Stockport College, which knows that it has to improve. A recent Ofsted report classed the college as inadequate and while there hopes that it would be able to merge with educational facilities in Oldham and Tameside, that plan fell through. There is a plan in place that could see Stockport College merging with Trafford College, but it is important for the college to keep its options open.
Stockport College sold a majority of the land it holds at the Wellington Road South area to the Homes and Communities Agency, and is currently leasing the space back at the moment; but this arrangement will run out by 2020. 2020 is also the year that the interchange has to be completed by, so you can see why people think it would be ideal to bring them both together at this point. It will be a huge challenge to incorporate the college into the interchange in the timescale, but it can be done if all parties work together.
At Spencer Harvey, we believe that further educational facilities are essential when it comes to developing a local area and we’ll keep an eye on the developing stories around Stockport College.
Image by Manchester Evening NEws: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/large-chunk-stockport-college-sold-11128710