The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is set to take legal action against the University of Lincoln over plans to redevelop land, which it believes should be protected for further education provision.
Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, has announced the “unprecedented” move, which he said had been confirmed by apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon.
In August, the SFA told TES that it was considering taking legal action against the university after it announced plans to redevelop a portion of its Riseholme campus, which is being leased to Riseholme College (part of Bishop Burton College) for land-based programmes.
The land is currently protected by an “asset deed”, which the SFA has said stipulates that the land must be used for FE provision.
Speaking today, Sir Edward said: “I can... reveal today that the Department for Education, through the SFA, is taking steps to commence legal proceedings against the University of Lincoln over its plans to demolish the Riseholme Park campus and replace it with a housing development.
“This unprecedented step has been confirmed to me in writing by the skills minister Robert Halfon. The land and assets at Riseholme Park are protected by a legally binding asset deed and the SFA has said it will proceed with legal action to enforce the deed unless the university makes a satisfactory offer to settle the dispute.
“This is a hugely significant development and one which will hopefully protect the campus for future use by generations of Lincolnshire farmers and other workers.”
An SFA spokesperson said: “We are clear that there is an asset deed in place to protect the facilities at Riseholme campus for further education delivery and want to ensure that it continues to be used to benefit students’ education.
“We can confirm that we are now taking steps to commence legal proceedings against the University of Lincoln to secure the land at the Riseholme campus and will proceed with this legal action unless a satisfactory offer is made to settle the dispute.”
A spokesperson from the University of Lincoln said: “We are surprised that this should be raised in the media in this way as we are in ongoing discussions with the SFA and their advisors.” They also said that the university’s vice chancellor, professor Mary Stuart, and professor Simon Pearson, director of Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, have planned a meeting with Sir Edward to discuss his concerns.
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