West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has this week met with the Skills Minister to urge the Government to intervene to head off a legal battle between Warwickshire College Group and Malvern Hills District Council.

Harriett met with Minister Robert Halfon to talk about the closure of Malvern Hills College and to brief him on a community-led bid to takeover the historic site.

The Leamington Spa-based group have turned down the bid and instead plan to mount a legal challenge Malvern Hills District Council’s decision to place a covenant protecting the site from asset-stripping.

Last week, the MP wrote to the newly-appointed chair of the Group Anna Daroy asking for an urgent meeting but she declined to meet.

Harriett said:

“I was disappointed that the new chair refused to meet with me, but over recent days I have had a number of conversations with Ministers to impress on them how important it now is for the Department to intervene.

“I’ve asked the Department to investigate what powers it has to head off a court action which will be costly for both parties.

“It cannot make sense that a publicly-funded body should be allowed to use tax payers money to try to legally force through a property development deal.

“I’ve briefed Ministers on my concerns and hope that they will now step in and help a common-sense solution to be found, outside of court, that allows Warwickshire College Group take up the generous offer that’s on the table allowing us to return adult education to the town with another provider.”