Coronavirus: Southampton City College and Itchen College merger delayed

Southampton City College admitted it was "financially weak" earlier this year

A planned merger between a cash-strapped further education college and a sixth form college has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Southampton City College, which had a deficit of £1.65m last year, is due to merge with Itchen College in order to reduce costs.

The merger, affecting 6,000 students, is now not likely to be completed until summer 2021.

Both colleges said they remained "committed" to joining together.

Earlier this year the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which is financially supporting City College, said it needed to find a "long-term solution" to funding issues, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The further education college, which caters for 16- to 18-year-olds as well as adult learners, admitted it was "financially weak" after its financial report showed it had £5.86m of loans outstanding with Santander.

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A public consultation is due to take place before the proposed merger goes ahead.

City College principal Sarah Stannard said: "Covid-19 has had a small negative impact on our income but we can manage this.

"Timing of the consultation will depend on progress and on the impact of coronavirus and on how soon daily life returns to a more normal position."

Itchen College principal Alex Scott said: "Itchen College continues to work with City College in preparing a merger proposal, although the current pandemic has understandably had an impact on timescales.

"Itchen and its governors remain committed to developing the proposal to secure educational choice in the city."

The Department for Education said the government would continue to work to "achieve a sustainable solution for further education in the city", while the city council said it was "supportive" of the merger plans.