To receive a report on the Strategic Area Review Herefordshire and Worcestershire currently being conducted by the Learning and Skills Council and to respond to the formal consultation.

THAT in responding to the Consultation Document, Cabinet endorses the overall approach to the Strategic Review and in relation to paragraph 11 of the Consultation Document which identifies the significant strategic issues and options for Herefordshire:

(a)             Cabinet strongly supports the pursuit of Option C involving the double dissolution of Herefordshire College of Technology and Herefordshire College of Art and Design in order to create a new corporation which would receive the assets and liabilities from both founder organisations;

(b)             Cabinet supports the local Learning and Skills Councils in its wish to work closely with the Pershore Group of Colleges on the future of the Holme Lacy Campus to ensure better integration of its facilities with this new institution;

and

(c)             Cabinet supports the view expressed by the Learning and Skills Council that all three existing colleges on the Folly Lane Campus need to make even greater efforts to support the new proposed institution through better shared utilisation of resources including premises and common services and funding.

To enable the Council to respond to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Strategic Area Review Strategic Issues and Options Consultation Document.

1.      The following strategic options have been considered:

A.            Status quo

            Continuation of separate colleges.

B.            Wider collaboration
            Both formal and informal.

C.        Dissolution of Herefordshire College of Art and Design and Herefordshire College of Technology

Double dissolution of the two colleges, leading to a new corporation with a specialism in art and design and a higher education curriculum.

D.        Dissolution of Herefordshire College of Art and Design and Herefordshire College of Technology.

Double dissolution of the two colleges leading to a new corporation with a specialism in art and design, but higher education programmes to be delivered by other providers.

E.            Single dissolution and merger of one college with the other

Closure of either Herefordshire College of Technology or Herefordshire College of Art and Design, and activities transferred to the remaining institution.

F.         Three way dissolution including Herefordshire College of Technology, Herefordshire College of Art and Design and Pershore Group of Colleges (Holme Lacy)

Three colleges are all dissolved leading to the creation of a new institution incorporating all further and higher education specialisms.

G.            Tertiary solution.

Merger between Herefordshire College of Art and Design, Herefordshire College of Technology, Hereford Sixth Form College and Holme Lacy, with 14+ and higher education collaborative links.