Sheffield College to close city's Peaks Campus to save money
- Published
More than 300 students attend Sheffield College's Peaks Campus in Waterthorpe Greenway
A campus at a further education college in South Yorkshire is to be shut down in a bid to save money.
Sheffield College's Peaks Campus will close in September, with a consultation involving 13 full-time and 70 part-time staff already under way, bosses said.
The college was "committed to minimising any potential redundancies", they added.
A local councillor said the closure "would negatively impact local learners and the surrounding area".
Most courses would be moved to the college's city centre site on Granville Road, a spokesperson said.
In a statement, the college said the decision about the campus in Waterthorpe Greenway followed "an internal review of the college estate".
Student numbers drop
The campus, which was built in 1999 and extended in 2005, was "significantly underutilised which is costly to maintain and run", it added.
"The situation is compounded by a tough financial climate for the further education sector nationally, including a reduction in funding in real terms and surging energy costs.
"Student recruitment at Peaks has declined, with more students wanting to study at City Campus."
According to the statement, a total of 776 students attended the Peaks Campus in 2014-15, but by 2019-20 that number had fallen by more than half to 380.
About 300 students currently studied on the campus, the statement added.
The college said it was talking to its partners about future uses for the site "so it continues to serve its communities".
A consultation process had started with students and parents about the closure, it said.
Lib Dem councillor Ian Horner said: "The decision to close Peaks Campus appears to be driven by financial concerns, without fully considering the long-term consequences on the students, staff, and the wider community.
"This campus serves as a vital educational hub and closing it would negatively impact local learners and the surrounding area."
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