COLLEGE MOVE COULD ATTRACT EXTRA £1 MILLION COUNCIL LOAN

Council bosses have revealed a plan to lend a further £1 million to allow more courses to move to Ashford College’s new site in time for its opening in September next year.

The plan has been drafted by Ashford council’s economic development manager, Andrew Osborne, and calls for £3 million to be lent to the Hadlow Group to make up for a funding shortfall.

The group will pay the interest repayments on the loan as a guarantee until the new college is up and running, at which stage the loan will switch to a grant.

The cash would help the group to complete the first phases on the construction, with progress clearly visible on the corner of Station Road.

It will be home to courses including music, maths, English, business studies, catering, and hair and beauty. The extra £1 million would see part of the plan being brought forward, so Hadlow Group can move across engineering and construction courses at the same time.

The two phases are part of a £25.8 million investment by the Hadlow Group, which could provide education for as many as 2,000 youngsters. It could allow the group to shore up the finances of the college with an estimated yearly surplus of £200,000.

Mr Osborne’s report highlights that the new building has been funded largely by the £22.8 million sell-off of the current Jemmett Road site, which has been earmarked for housing development. He says: “The delivery of this project will support improved educational provision, supporting improved prosperity for both residents and businesses alike.

“As well as providing improvements to the local educational provision, the new campus will also support the regeneration of the town centre through new footfall and spend from both students and staff at Ashford College.”

Council cabinet members are due to discuss the proposal at a meeting at the Civic Centre in Tannery Lane tomorrow (Thursday) from 7pm.

Construction of Ashford College in Elwick Road; right, a design for the finished building