Save Our College
Sign Petition | Why Save the Grange? | Signatories so far | Your comments | [Download Print version] | About this site | Press Coverage
Sign Petition | Why Save the Grange? | Signatories so far | Your comments | [Download Print version] | About this site | Press Coverage
There are many excellent reasons to keep Burley Grange as an adult education centre. These include:
THE BUILDING
1. The building has been a community facility for a long time. It is a focal point for the village and the meeting place for a number of groups.
2. The car park at the Station Road side of the building is of great value to shoppers and local businesses, being used by local residents when the college is not operating.
3. Few people would welcome another new housing development in what is rapidly becoming a very overdeveloped village.
EDUCATION
1. The College provides a wide range of courses, allowing wharfe valley residents to learn new skills for work and hobbies, providing valuable activities after school and after work, and for elderly residents.
2. Whilst the college has said that some courses would go the Bridge House in Ilkley, not all would. Very few courses could be run in Burley without the College site.
4. Many local residents still remember the closure of the Ilkley College campus - it became posh apartments. Not only could local residents no longer study there, they often couldn't buy the flats either! If this happened in Burley it would be a real loss to the community.
TRANSPORT
1. Burley grange is right next to the key bus route between Otley and Ilkley and a short walk from the Station. It is also served by the 'hoppa' bus that goes round many streets in Burley, making it an easy location to get to for anyone in Wharfedale.
2. By contrast Bridge House in Ilkley is a good walk from the bus and rail station at the other side of the town.
3. More housing in the centre of the village would put more pressure on parking for residents and local shops. Not only could the car park be lost, the new residents would inevitably increase on street parking as well, and there is no spare capacity. Whilst students also need to park, many use public transport and they often need to park at different times to residents. More housing would make the bottom of Station Road almost impassable.
THE COMMUNITY & BUSINESS
1. The college acts as a valuable focal point for may local residents, and the regular stream of students and staff helps keep burley busier and safer in the evening. The courses offered help keep more local people engaged in education and the local community alike.
2. The college staff and students use local shops and businesses helping them survive. The loss of the College would put even more pressure on local shops.
FINALLY
Once it's gone it's gone and, whatever the College say, I do not believe it will be back. If it closes, they will have to find another use for it - and the only likely use is housing. It would be very hard to justify retaining it as a community facility without the College to use it.
NOTE
Some people are uncertain as to how the College is funded. Funding for post-16 education comes through a quango called the Learning and Skills Council, which is a central government agency. There job is simply to do what the government tells them. Bradford Council does not fund the College!
If you have not already done so, please sign the petition here: The petition has now closed.