COLLEGE boss Colin Booth has welcomed the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the halted £60m reconstruction project.
Mr Brown was asked at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday by Barnsley MP Jeff Ennis if he would meet Mr Booth as a matter of urgency.
The PM replied: "Yes, I will, and I hope that we can deal with the legitimate concerns of him and his Barnsley College staff." He said he fully sympathised with those concerns.
Barnsley College's redevelopment was left in limbo because of a national funding cock-up. The main Old Mill Lane building was demolished earlier this year after bosses were told £50m was coming from the Learning and Skills Council, students are being taught in the smaller remaining building. The college borrowed £10m to pay for the demolition.
Midway through the process the LSC announced it had done its sums wrong and could not guarantee its portion of cash.
Principal Mr Booth said since then he had been working hard to find a solution and was pleased to get the ear of the Prime Minister.
The picture shows Mr Booth on the college roof with what is left of the Old Mill Lane building behind him.
