Ambleside university campus closure fight taken to Downing Street (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Ambleside university campus closure fight taken to Downing Street

10:08am Wednesday 3rd February 2010 in

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THE fight to save the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus has been taken to 10 Downing Street.

A 5,500 signature petition calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to intervene in the university’s funding crisis was handed over by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron on Tuesday.

He said the aim was to put pressure on the Government and the university to come up with a way of keeping the campus open instead of mothballing it and moving hundreds of undergraduate students to Lancaster and Carlisle, a move which would save £2m a year.

The petition was delivered in the wake of a Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFC) announcement it was cutting £449m from university funding next year.

However, Mr Farron insisted the University of Cumbria was a special case.

“What makes it different from other institutions in financial dificulties is that it was effectively created by the Government two and a half years ago, so ministers have a responsibility to help it become financially viable,” insisted Mr Farron.

He said the university had inherited £25m worth of debt when it was formed from three other institutions but was also running up an annual budget deficit of £7m.

Mr Farron said the public response to the petition showed pressure was now building on the University of Cumbria to keep undergraduate studies in Ambleside.

He revealed he had been ‘working behind the scenes with other public bodies’ to try and secure financial help for the university and was due to discuss the options with vice chancellor Professor Peter McCaffery as The Westmorland Gazette went to press yesterday.

Mr Farron said: "It is just wrong to remove all the students from Ambleside campus - it is a heart breaking prospect for the students and will deeply damage the local community and economy of Ambleside.

“We have worked very hard to put together a strong rescue package, it’s vital that the university considers this seriously and accepts the help on offer.

“I'm really grateful to everyone who has signed the petition and joined the campaign - whatever happens this week, I am determined that we keep on fighting to protect and strengthen Ambleside campus for the benefit of future students and for our whole community."

Meanwhile, the university board was due to hold a crisis meeting today to debate the financial crisis and Profesor McCaffery’s plan to seek a £25m emergency grant from the HEFC.

But even if this was forthcoming, Professor McCaffery has said the insitution would still have to shed 200 jobs.