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Delays: Andy Wilson |
College head calls for a quick fix as building cash dries up
Multi-million pound scheme hit by Learning and Skills Council debacle
A MULTI-million pound refurbishment of a Westminster college where celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, Antony Worrall-Thompson and Ainsley Harriott trained has been derailed after the government’s funding arm ran out of cash.
Westminster Kingsway College (WKC) bosses admit a planned upgrade of their flagship central London campus may never see the light of day despite repeated assurance from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) that funding was available.
An independent report, just published, examines how some 144 college bosses across the country were promised grants to upgrade their buildings, despite the LSC overshooting its three-year budget within 12 months.
College principal Andy Wilson said: “What we have now are delays and uncertainty. We need something speedy now to come up with criteria.
“Although, there is no point in having more criteria if there is no more money. We believe there will be no more money for the next three years.”
WKC has already benefited from an earlier round of LSC investment with a new building in King’s Cross.
But its planned Victoria development looks unlikely to get off the ground. The college has already spent £1.5million towards compiling advanced plans for the revamping of the buildings.
Former Audit Commission boss Sir Andrew Foster, author of the report into the LSC, found “major mistakes” in financial planning department.
He said poor management meant early warnings of an overspend were not acted upon. The LSC was charged by the government to manage a £2.3billion budget for the spending period 2008-2011, but Sir Andrew’s report said this was all but spent by Christmas 2008.
A total of 79 projects worth another £2.7billion had been “approved in principle” – but were now awaiting final approval.
In a statement, Sir Andrew said: “At the heart of the problem is the absence of a proper long-term financial strategy and inadequate management, information and monitoring.
“I have been forced to conclude that the crisis was predictable and probably avoidable.
“Certainly it could have been mitigated if action had been taken earlier.”
The West End Extra revealed last month how major plans to centralise Westminster’s adult education services into a site in Moxon Street was stalling because of funding from the LSC to Westminster City Council had not been forthcoming. |
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