New Wirral training academy to be recommended for approval (From Wirral Globe)

New Wirral training academy to be recommended for approval

8:00am Saturday 20th October 2012 in News By Geoff Barnes

JOB prospects for hundreds of people on the dole could be boosted with the prospect of a bespoke training academy project at a Bromborough industrial site.

Wirral planning authority has been told that the proposed development could result in the creation of 15 full-time jobs in addition to a valuable academy-style training centre for local residents.

A report to Thursday's meeting of Wirral planning committee reveals that – according to the index of multiple deprivation – Wirral is one of the country’s most deprived areas, significantly lagging behind other local areas in the growth of Gross Value Added – the difference between what something costs and what it can be sold for.

The peninsula has one of the lowest GVA per head in England at £10, 736 and it also has the lowest job density ration in the City Region with 57 jobs per 100 residents.

Councillors have been told that the proposal would bring a part of the industrial site back into use and provide training opportunities to get local people back into work.

The applicant – NAC Group – currently operates three training centres in the North East of England and their scheme would involve the opening of a new academy-style training centre to deliver bespoke manufacturing/logistic training to jobless people in the area and staff for the new Jaguar Land Rover site in Ellesmere Port as well as other car manufacturers.

One possible stumbling block is that the scheme would be a departure from the local unitary development plan.

But planners point out in a report to the planning committee that there are material considerations that weight in favour of the development – it would bring vacant premises back into use on the edge of the industrial area; it would create full-time jobs and would offer academy-style training for local people.

They have recommended that the scheme be approved.