FOLLOWING the news WCG was looking to close down Malvern Hills College, the town's council agreed to apply for it to be an "asset of community value"

This, it is hoped, will preserve the site and its buildings for the future.

With the application having been approved, the Malvern Hills College site has been added to the council's community assets register.

Town Councillors Clive Hooper and Cynthia Palmer were instrumental in bringing this matter to the attention of the Town Council and also represent the Town Council on the task group.

Cllr Hooper said: “I was very pleased to be able to get unanimous support from the Town Council for my proposal, which Cllr Palmer kindly seconded, to have Malvern Hills College registered as an Asset of Community Value.

"It is excellent news that this has now been achieved. It will mean that even more pressure will now be placed upon the Warwickshire Colleges Group to stop the sale of the college site for anything other than the educational and community use we want to keep.”

Cllr Palmer added “The College is an extremely valuable educational asset to our Town.

"It will help to provide the future skills training needed for our young people and promote lifelong learning for the whole community."

Assets of Community Value were introduced to give communities the right to identify a building or other land that they believe to be of importance to their community’s social well-being or social interests. It also allows the community the right to bid for the asset, should it be put up for sale, and once approved the asset remains on the register for a period of five years.

As a Town Council, Malvern Town were able to submit an ACV application and have secured the college’s ACV registration.