West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called on Warwickshire College Group to come to the table to negotiate a compromise deal which will allow Malvern Hills College to reopen as soon as possible.

Harriett has written to the Group’s chairman, Peter Manford, calling for them to meet with the Bransford Trust and a specialist mediator to try and find a solution to the current hold-up which is preventing the sale to the local community bidder.

The MP is planning meetings with Government Ministers to ensure that the covenant is upheld, securing teaching at the Albert Road North site, and she has written to the charity commission to ask for its guidance on whether or not Warwickshire College Group is a charity.

But Harriett has also offered a mediation to the management team and called on them to come to the negotiating table to find a suitable compromise that allows the Group to leave Malvern with a suitable pay-off.

Harriett said:

“I’m frustrated by the impasse and having spoken to the Chair of the Association of Midlands Mediators, I am convinced that the right thing to do is to get an independent mediator on board.

“The community clearly wants to return teaching to the site, there is a covenant there to ensure that, and Warwickshire College Group wants to exit the site with the best possible deal.

“The Bransford Trust, which is putting up the cash, is willing to come to the negotiating table and I hope WCG will do the same.

“By taking these sensible steps, we will be able to move forward with the plans to bring back teaching to this historic site. It is what the community wants and that’s the message I will be repeating to Government Ministers in my meetings in Westminster over the coming weeks.”