Republican News · Thursday 7 November 2002

University of Ulster's Springvale betrayal

Late last month, the University of Ulster (UU) dealt what may be a fatal blow to the Springvale Educational Village Project, admitting that they are pulling out of the project and that their agreed commitment of £8m would not be forthcoming. This decision paces the entire £70m project, the largest single investment in West Belfast, in real jeopardy.

The announcement was made at the Springvale Board meeting convened to discuss SDLP former minister Carmel Hanna's call for a review of the project.

The UU claimed that the problem is that they are only being allowed 600 new student places and the rest of their quota (900) will be made up of transfer from existing courses in Jordanstown. They claim that this will only generate revenue of £2.1m per year and that they will have to pay back £1.6m per year. But they have known about this situation with the academic places for at least three years. This is a not a new phenomenon.

Una Gillespie, West Belfast community representative on the Board, said:

"This news was not unexpected and I have been saying as much in recent articles and correspondence in the media. The University have been totally disingenuous and dishonest in the manner in which they have dealt with this issue.

"This community has been treated appallingly by an institution that had no qualms in applying for money internationally on the backs of the people in North and West Belfast. UU are trying to convince us that they cannot find £1.6m per year to repay a loan of £8m. Such an institution probably pays out that amount per year for tea and coffee. This is the same institution that in the last two years has either opened or launched capital projects at Magee and Coleraine to the tune of £145.8m.

"Questions have to be asked about the real reason behind the decision to pull out of North and West Belfast. Why is this the only campus to suffer? When asked at the Board meeting they would give no answer to this. This community has spent many hours in consultation on this project as well as attending meetings and presentations. We will now be adding this up over the ten years of development and billing the University accordingly. This is a massive breach of trust and an act of such immorality that the repercussions will be felt in these, the most deprived communities in the North for many years to come.'

"The UU's subsequent statement that the 'perception that the university's commitment has lessened in any way is misleading and inaccurate' is breathtaking in its arrogance. This project has been on the table for ten years. Why was the finance required not ring fenced? The annual repayment the University of Ulster would have to make is £1.67m. The University has not even considered options for seeking funding for this. No Peace 2 applications were done. No mention of the need to seek alternative sources of that finance was made to the Board to enable the Board to seek solutions. The decision was taken arbitrarily by the University's governing body and presented to the Springvale Board as a fait accomplit."

"In the meantime, the community representatives in West Belfast have been meeting to plan for the future in terms of new models for Springvale and seeking new higher education partners to deliver what was promised."