College governors 'face the sack'

The Welsh College of Horticulture overlooks the Dee Estuary at Northop

A college's board of governors face dismissal in an unprecedented Welsh Assembly Government intervention.

Governors at the Welsh College of Horticulture in Flintshire face removal after ministers lost confidence in their ability to manage its finances.

Governors were given the chance to show why they should keep their places, but BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye understands they will be dismissed on Friday.

Both the assembly government and the college said they could not comment.

Janet Ryder, who speaks for Plaid Cymru on education, said the assembly government had already lined up a replacement board of governors to run the college, at Northop.

It's the beginning of the end Brynle Williams AM, Conservative

"They have already approached people to form a new board of governors and that draws many questions over this whole process, and raises questions over how much consideration the minister is going to give to the (governors') response," she said.

"I would urge him to consider the governing body's response very carefully," she told Dragon's Eye.

The programme said the assembly government had accused the board of mismanagement.

The college offers residential accommodation for 36 people

The governors were accused of a failure to safeguard the college's solvency, to provide reliable and consistent financial information to the assembly government, weaknesses in governance and management, and financial problems dating back to 2000.

The college has recently applied to extend its overdraft facility to �300,000, months after promising it would not exceed a limit of �200,000.

Plans to merge the college with another college have long been seen as a cure to its financial problems.

Governors favour a merger with NEWI in Wrexham, and a report commissioned by the college recommended such a merger back in January.

Other independently commissioned reports have concluded that a merger with Deeside College is the best option, which is supported by the assembly government.

But Conservative AM Brynle Williams said that type of education offered at the college could be lost if a merger with Deeside College went ahead.

'Threat'

"It's the beginning of the end," he said.

"I don't think that there is sufficient interest within Deeside College, and I don't think there is sufficient interest in the present administration to support land-based education," said Mr Williams.

Staff have been unaware of the threat hanging over the governors, according to one union representative and former lecturer.

Both the assembly government and the college said they were unable to comment due to ongoing confidential discussions.

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