Mid-Cheshire college to close

The old Mid-Cheshire College is planning to close with the potential loss of 56 jobs.

The college provided arts foundation courses and a grounding in teaching for many local students who went on to become highly respected names in the North-West arts world – including Emeritus Professor of Fine Art at Chester University, John Renshaw – who also taught at Broken Cross Secondary Modern (later Henbury High School) in Macclesfield.

Warrington and Vale Royal College wants to close its campus in Hartford near Northwich because it is seriously under utilised.

According to the college the move, which has attracted criticism, would make it financially sustainable.

The move has comes just six years after £10m was spent on building a number of new buildings at the site.

Northwich mayor Janet Myerscough-Illidge has written a letter claiming the loss of the campus would be a huge blow for the Cheshire town.

The site was the main campus for the Mid-Cheshire College before it merged with Warrington College to form the new organisation.

College’s governors have voted to move all but two of the courses to Winsford and Warrington leaving the site largely redundant.

Ms Myercough-Illidge said: “It would be a huge loss to Northwich if a decision was taken that meant that this campus could not re-open should the fortunes of the college change.

Local MP Mike Amesbury added: “This has been nothing short of vandalism of the further education sector in Northwich on the college leadership’s part.”

A briefing sent to local politicians put together by the college said the college in Northwich had a poor reputation and students had gone elsewhere because of “poor behaviour, low work ethic and poor performance”.