Leaked Resignation letter from Stephen Downs ex Governor to CAMSFC

[Miss Marple]

Do you think its right that parents , and teachers are not aware of any proposals and how this may effect their jobs.  This post was posted by me not MIA and it is not taking pot shots at anyone   I have been in to talks with the college and if I am nothing else I am honest and really have better things to do than keep trying sort fact from fiction with the college    This is my life  my family and my community that will be effected !  The governors do not live even local, the only one that did resigned , Ms Cassidy lives in Stoke,   So what do you suggest ? That we continue to allow them to keep telling us untruths and tie us up in knots and delay us in seeking out the truth.   If this goes to planning it will be hard to fight as Mr Hubert has already said that the college will appeal any decision by SMBC planning dept against a  supermarket   So as a community charge payer, paying nearly as much as the national debt per year I do not want to see SMBC bankrupt defending this do you ?  If it's right and they believe this is the right thing to do,why were the college trying to get it to planning before the community knew.  Remember we, the community only got to know because a member of staff leaked it out of the college, remember the two leaked emails from concerned staff.   

[marpleexile]

I do feel that some people are being a little harsh on the College. Like it or not (and obviously most don't), the College leadership (Governors, etc) have a legal duty to do what is best for their constituents, ie the Students. And whilst you can make arguments about how a supermarket will affect the quality of life for Marple based students, ultimately it comes down to how much money they can get to redevelop the land and buildings they have left.

It's not really fair to criticise them for not consulting, as they are under no requirement to do so. I don't have to consult you if I want to sell my house, nor you I. It's what happens next that requires public consultation.

The Chairman's statement is (as far as we know at this stage) perfectly truthful. The College don't know who the buyers will be. He could have added that it'll probably be either Tesco or Asda, but why would he. The college are (presumably) in negotiation with any and all parties who are interested in buying the land, and it's unreasonable to criticise them for not putting "commercially confidential" discussions into a press statement.

I don't think that continually taking pot-shots at the College leadership for doing what they are legally tasked to do, look after the best interests of the Students, is the way to win "hearts and minds" for the MIA campaign.

[Miss Marple]

I have been sent a copy of the resignation letter from Stephen Downs to The Governors and the Principal-ship.  I cannot put the letter on the forum due to legal reasons and would not ask Admin to do that,  the person who sent it to me  has taken a huge risk but feels that the community of MARPLE should know what the TRUE PLANS OF CAMSFC are. There are many people working in CAMSFC that are not happy about the proposed sale to a supermarket and feel that the public needs to be aware of the facts.
Although I cannot publish the letter, what I can  do is give you an insight into what it contains.  Which  will put Lawrence Grant's (Chairman of governors for CAMSFC ) recently released statement into question.

The resignation letter tells  of a meeting which was held on 12 July 2011 with the Corporation of CAMSFC whereby the Governors and the Principle-ship decided to continue with the proposals to sell the land at the HIBBERT Lane Campus to a national supermarket chain.  Stephen Downs states that he has considered his position and as a local resident of the area, who shops weekly in Marple's local shops, he has a different perspective from other members.

Why I think this resignation letter is very important is because it states that CAMSFC Governors and the Principle-ship have decided to continue with the proposal to sell the land to a supermarket chain.  Later in the letter Stephen Downs states that the strategy of selling land to a national supermarket is wrong and that he believes that the college should look at a more socially beneficial option rather that the best financially, which would be to look at selling the land for affordable housing, and to sell to a supermarket chain is wrong.

Now if we look at what CAMSFC state in their recent press release and on CAMSFC site and more recently in the latest edition of The Stockport Times, whereby Lawrence Grant (Chairman) states " Who will buy the site ' and "We can make no assumption as to who the ultimate purchaser will be"  doesn't seem right because WE ALREADY KNOW that ASDA and Tesco are the two supermarkets  What we didn't know was that they have not really looked at other options that would benefit the community.
I have written to ask if CAMSFC will re look at their Chairmans statement and request that another one is issued asap, informing the community, parents and parents of potential students the truth.  
I am concerned that the people who have responsibility in teaching our young people morals, values and honesty are failing in their duty of care by way of not even informing, parents,students  teachers, potential students and the community of the proposals they have decided on without consultation with the people it will directly effect.  THAT CAN NOT BE RIGHT CAN IT