Shropshire college merger date delayed by a month

Ian Peake, principal at North Shropshire College, said a proposed merger with Herefordshire and Ludlow College is still going ahead despite staff concerns the move may have ground to a halt.

Now head of governors Gillian Richards has said the merger date has moved, but things are running well.

She has said she is hopeful of everything going to plan, ahead of sealing the college merger on November 1.

"The final details are being sorted out now, and it looks like it is going to go through," she said.

"That is what we hope, it looks like the government are going to back us with the correct funding to help this college flourish in the future.

"October 1 doesn't look like it is going to happen, but we are looking at November 1 for the official merger to take place.

"If it all goes to plan North Shropshire College will end on October 31, and then on November 1 it will be Herefordshire and Ludlow and North Shropshire College.

Uncertain

"That is the date we are hoping for."

It has been an uncertain couple of years for the college, which stopped doing the traditional A-level subjects.

It was then revealed that it was looking to complete a move with Reaseheath College in 2017, with months of talks and preparation going into the move.

However after the blocks were put in place, it collapsed at the 11th hour due to government funding.

Then college bosses insisted they didn't need a merger to secure the future of the college, but they were actively looking for one.

It was this year they announced talks were well underway with their counterparts in Herefordshire and Ludlow.

However NSC campuses at Shipley and Tenbury Wells won't be part of the move, after it was announced they had been part of a cuts.