Staffordshire University to move everything to Stoke?

C

Confused

Well-Known Forumite
Gramaisc said:
The County Council bid to buy back the University - http://www.staffordshirenewsletter....-park-sports/story-27557233-detail/story.html - I still don't understand how much the County Council got when the Polytechnic ceased to be their property. It would be interesting to know how the value has changed.

Are 'we' trying to buy back something that 'we' gave away?

It has a look of shady accounting to me.
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On the day the Polytechnic/University became independent of the Council, vesting day I think it's called, they would have taken over all their existing property from the County Council free of charge. The same thing would have happened to the college and any academies that are created.

All these institutions would have been created by government decree so, they are in effect 'giving away' public property to another public body. Some academies are run by commercial organisations, so I don't know who ends up 'owning' them.
 
basil

basil

don't mention the blinds
I propose the campus is turned in to giant Food-Court. The difference to all the others is that this would be a Drive Thru' . As most modern vehicles have electric windows I have come up with a fantastic slogan..... ALL YOU CAN EAT.. AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON! Watch out you Hungry Horses and you Knot and Ploughshares........
 
1JKz

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
"They" are replacing the surface on the hockey/football pitches at the uni, this must mean, the facilities are here to stay for the foreseeable future, no one would replace the surface (at the cost of thousands of £s) thinking they'd only get a few months to a year, before most the uni is moved to Stoke right, right??


So, in turn, the gym must be staying also, surely, for the foreseeable future?
 
Wormella

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
1JKz said:
"They" are replacing the surface on the hockey/football pitches at the uni, this must mean, the facilities are here to stay for the foreseeable future, no one would replace the surface (at the cost of thousands of £s) thinking they'd only get a few months to a year, before most the uni is moved to Stoke right, right??


So, in turn, the gym must be staying also, surely, for the foreseeable future?
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They are also refurbishing a kitchen next to my office - which would suggest a certain longevity to the site as is.
 
Chick

Chick

Well-Known Forumite
1JKz said:
"They" are replacing the surface on the hockey/football pitches at the uni, this must mean, the facilities are here to stay for the foreseeable future, no one would replace the surface (at the cost of thousands of £s) thinking they'd only get a few months to a year, before most the uni is moved to Stoke right, right??


So, in turn, the gym must be staying also, surely, for the foreseeable future?
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The surface of the main astro has long been in need of re-carpeting but we were all surprised to learn it would be done prior to the start of the upcoming hockey season.

Although there is a joint maintenance agreement between the Uni and the BC for the sports facilities, we've been led to believe the funding has come from the Uni for this maintenance. Considering the cost of the re-surfacing (approx £120K), apart from the health and safety reasons as it was getting quite dangerous with gaps in the carpet, I can only assume it was felt having a freshly laid surface would make it a more enticing prospect to any potential purchasers so would attract higher offers as part of the bidding process
 
1JKz

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
More enticing to potential purchasers?, what to rip it up and build on it?

I'm hoping it stays put (that and the gym), for a few years yet!
 
Chick

Chick

Well-Known Forumite
The lot that includes the astro and the gym are designated for use for sport. The BC have made it pretty clear in discussions with the agent that are acting on behalf of the Uni to market the sale, that any planning application to change the use to a non sporting facility i.e. housing would not be looked on favorably. This has been passed on by the agent to all prospective purchasers as part of their consultations

In order to gain approval for non sporting use, equivalent land elsewhere in the borough would need to be redeveloped for sporting use by the applicant

The issue is that no clarity has been given on how an application by the potential purchaser would be received to redevelop the land for use by other sports i.e lay a different astro surface, knock it all down and build a tennis centre, rugby pitches, swimming pool etc

I also meant enticing to potential purchasers in terms of if the Uni were selling it as a going concern etc. Having an outstanding £100K+ maintenance job would seriously impact the P&L for the first few years of trading by the new owners
 
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Mikinton

Mikinton

Well-Known Forumite
I realise I'm being lazy in asking this question but is it possible to apply for any courses running at Staffs Uni's Beaconside campus (as the impression I've got is that what courses are running there are only for 2nd/3rd/whatever year students).

I'm thinking if tweeting something to the effect that he implies in the Express&Star's article that Beaconside is a very safe place to study, so could he let me know which courses I could apply for.
 
biccies

biccies

Well-Known Forumite
I've been told that they're operating the Stafford campus 'as normal' until 2016. Although I think they have already started to reduce some things. New students will have started the weekend just gone so basically will have 1 year of studying at Beaconside and then move to Stoke next year.
 
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