West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called on the Department for Education to stop the sale of the Malvern Hills College buildings while a community-led solution is developed.

Harriett has discussed the threatened sale with Skills Minister Gillian Keegan and has asked her to halt the process to allow an alternative plan to be developed.

The MP has been working with local stakeholders to identify a potential purchaser for the site on Albert Road North and is talking to other education providers about expanding teaching at the popular location.

The Warwickshire College Group took over the site in 2016 but courses and student numbers have been allowed to decline. During Covid, students were forced to travel to Evesham for their classes and the temporary decision was made permanent late last year, without carrying out a formal consultation process.

Harriett said: “I have been really heartened by the way the community has mobilised to try and find way to preserve teaching at this historic site. I share the same goals as local people and the Taskforce.

“Everyone locally can see how important it is that we expand provision for skills locally at this time and I have spoken to the Minister, the local councils, Local Enterprise Partnership, other local education leaders and written to the Warwickshire College principal to urge her to support the local solution that has emerged.

“There has been teaching on the Albert Road North site for many decades. I’m going to keep working closely with the community and potential supporters to get to a solution that will benefit local people and hopefully many generations to come.”