Council backs university bid

10:29am Wednesday 7th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

PLANS for a university in Dudley have taken a further step forward as councillors unanimously agree for proposals to go to committee stage.

All councillors at Full Council joined forces to agree with a motion proposed by Cllr Shaukat Ali for Dudley to start considering an application for a town university.

Although the motion asked for a separate task force to be established by Dudley Council which would lead a community campaign, Leader of the Council, Cllr David Caunt, decided members of the Select Committee for Regeneration, Culture and Adult Education would be able to consider the application.

He said: "I don't see why we should set up another committee when we have got one to do the job already."

The motion received unanimous backing from the councillors and it was agreed for it to go forward for committee consideration.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Ali, said: "It was important that it received full backing from the members.

"There are 150 other places in the country interested in having a university in their town therefore Dudley faces stiff competition.

"It is therefore important to get the people of Dudley behind these ideas - they should start supporting it now and should let us know their views on the idea.

"There is going to be a lot of hard work involved in this and I think it will need to be the priority of the committee."