Final decision on Hastings campus in November

The university announced this week a public consultation will soon be held into controversial proposals to close the campus.

Since the decision to close the Hastings campus was announced in March, more than 7,900 people have signed a petition in protest. In recent weeks, campaigners have claimed the university did not properly consult the Academic Board before March’s announcement.

A joint statement from the University and College Union and Unison said: “The decision to terminate the university’s operation in Hastings has been set aside. The flawed nature of the process followed means the vice chancellor does not have the authority to proceed with the closure plan.

“A new process to consider the university’s operation in Hastings will be put in place. The only proposal offered for consideration, however, will be the closure of the university’s operation, and the termination of higher education provision at Hastings, a proposal identical to the original decision of the Board of Governors.”

A spokesman for the University of Brighton said: “We are aware of the statements made by some of our trades unions regarding the review of our higher education provision in Hastings. Over the past few months we have been working with our partners in Hastings to develop a proposal for a new University Centre that will build on the legacy of our current campus and replace it over the next three to four years.

“While the final shape of the proposal is not yet known, it is clear the future model for higher education provision in Hastings will need to be significantly different from that which is currently in place. We will be issuing further details on our proposal for a new University Centre in the coming weeks. We will then be opening this up to a formal three-month consultation so the people of Hastings, local stakeholders, staff and students can all have a say before a final decision is made by our Board of Governors in November.”

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