Victory for Everdon local group

1.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 5th Jan 2007

Northamptonshire County Council are to keep the Everdon Field Centre open with a review due next September in order to see if it can work to a new business plan. Representatives from Everdon Parish Council, Everdon Field Studies Centre Advisory and Daventry District Council met with representatives of Northants County Council to discuss the proposals to transfer the facility to the County's Grendon Hall.

"This is a victory for the local people who have worked hard with to come up with a business plan to continue the success of the Everdon Field Studies Centre and to encourage more use of it outside of school term time" said Cllr John Yates, Liberal Democrat Education spokesman.

Member of the Everdon Centre Advisory Board, Cllr. Brian Lomax (Liberal Democrat - Barby & Kilsby) said: "We have accepted the challenge to run with our business plan, and to prove by this coming September that we can make it work. We are delighted that the County Council listened to local people and are giving us the chance to keep the Everdon Field Studies Centre going."

The Advisory Board submitted an alternative proposal which involves keeping the Centre open on a non- subsidised basis and working towards achieving charitable status.

37 schools wrote in response to the recent consultation supporting the continuation of the Centre on the grounds that it provides a safe environment, quality programmes, an excellent venue and access to the countryside and enjoys good working relationships with village residents and landowners.

The Director for Children and Young People has now made the following decision in relation to Everdon Field Studies Centre:

1) That the County Council encourage Everdon Field Study Centre, Grendon Hall and Longtown to work closely together to establish a single advisory board;

2) That a subsidy for Everdon Field Study Centre of £30,000 be maintained for 2007/08 so that the board of Everdon Field Studies Centre have the opportunity to prove their business plan; and

3) That the viability of Everdon Field Studies Centre be reviewed in September 2007 and, if it is judged to be not viable at that point, together the advisory board and the County Council agree that the continued and further development of Residential Environmental Education be transferred to Grendon Hall from 31 March 2008 without further consultation.