Holme Valley Review July 2011

Page 1

June 2011

Advertising: 01484 420800

Centre closure would be a ‘major loss to valley’ By Sandie Marshall HOLMFIRTH is to lose its adult education centre as Kirklees College says it can no longer afford to run courses there. It has published a statement in which it blames the move on Government cuts in its funding coupled with its own plans to restructure. The Huddersfield Road centre it says “is expensive to maintain and fee income is not sufficient to justify continuing classes”. Holmfirth, it adds, is “a non-priority area for Government funding”. There are currently 43 full and part time staff based at the Holmfirth centre and the college is in talks with them to “explore options”. It has set a target of reducing its total 1,400 workforce by 50 people through voluntary redundancy. The Adult Education Centre provides part-time leisure courses and is attended by

hundreds of students. It has 48 courses currently on offer covering interests from art, pottery and gardening to computing, languages and spiritual growth. Depending on the subject, courses can cost over £100 for ten weekly sessions although some are free and reductions for older people and the unemployed are available. Such part-time leisure courses make up only a small proportion of the college’s offering from its main Huddersfield and Dewsbury bases. Many of its courses are aimed at 14-18 year old fulltime students including GCSEs, A Levels and professional qualifications. The college, which has an annual turnover of £56m, says it hopes to continue offering part time leisure courses for adults but Holme Valley students will need to travel to other centres to access them. The move to close the cen-

Students outside the centre protest against the planned closure tre has angered local MP Jason McCartney who has requested an urgent meeting with College Principal Chris Sadler. Jason told the Review: “I will be doing everything I can to get them to reverse this decision. I believe in good quality services where people

HAVE A FAMILY ROAST

FOR LESS THAN

£5.00

2 1/2 lb Boneless Loin Pork Joint for

£4.50

Lovely fresh meat! Staff are fantastic, friendly and helpful! Wendy F, Huddersfield

HAVE A FAMILY ROAST FOR LESS THAN £5.00 WHEN YOU PRESENT THIS VOUCHER

Name: ....................................................................

4 Market Walk Holmfirth, HD9 7DA Telephone 01484 683302 187-189 Church Street Paddock, HD1 4UL Telephone 01484 428660

Tel: ........................................................................... Email: ..................................................................... K Please tick this box if you would like to receive news of our fantastic offers and recipes. Sharland’s will not share your data with any other third party. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Valid until 30/06/11

need them. This will be a major loss to the valley and I can’t stress strongly enough my opposition to it.” The announcement of the Holmfirth closure came on the same day as Ofsted published a highly critical report on the College’s overall per-

formance which it said was at worst “inadequate” and at best only “satisfactory”. The college responded by saying that the report gave an out-of-date picture and that it has already addressed many of its findings.

Probe as man dies in site accident THE Health and Safety Executive is investigating the death of a man on a Huddersfield Road building site. Mark James Taylor, 36, suffered a fatal accident while operating pile driving equipment on the former Dunsley Heat site next to the police station in Holmfirth. The land is currently being cleared in readiness for 48 houses to be built there. Mr Taylor, from Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, was working for Sheffield-based Green Piling Ltd. Police and air ambulance attended the accident. An inquest has been opened.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Holme Valley Review July 2011 by Script Media - Issuu