Proposals sought for future of Wales’ oldest university
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is inviting proposals for viable, sustainable activity on the University’s Lampeter campus.
An online form is now available, providing an opportunity for individuals and organisations to propose their ideas that will bring long-term, sustainable, economic benefit to the campus and the local community.
The University has begun actively engaging with stakeholders and the local community to explore a range of options that could bring a new life to the campus.
Consultation
Humanities courses at UWTSD, Wales’ oldest university, are being moved from Lampeter to Carmarthen in September, ending more than 200 years of academia in the town.
The decision sparked concern among staff, local business owners and residents, who launched a change.org petition on 13 November last year that has since attracted 2,579 signatures.
Following the response from locals, a public meeting held last month drew strong interest and valuable feedback, marking an important step in the consultation process.
In addition to the public meeting, the University has been engaging with representatives of key stakeholder groups and will continue this to do so to identify practical and innovative proposals.
Reimagine
A Key Stakeholder Group, comprising local politicians, business and community leaders, and University-associated groups, is set to meet at the end of this month.
This group will work together to generate and assess viable proposals aimed at reimagining the vibrancy of the campus, pursuing alternative educational and commercial activities, and creating new opportunities for the local community.
Members of the group are representatives for the key communities and we encourage people to make contact with them to represent views and thoughts. Their proposals will be submitted to the University for approval.
Working together
Debra Williams, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Business and Commercial Relations said: “We strongly encourage everyone with an interest in the future of the Lampeter campus and who have a worked-through proposal to take part in this process.
‘The recent public meeting and ongoing discussions with key stakeholders have reinforced the importance of working together to develop a sustainable and exciting future for the campus.
‘This process is a vital opportunity for the wider community to contribute their proposals and help shape what comes next.”
The form, along with full details of the consultation process, can be accessed here.
The University has made clear that it welcomes all contributions and looks forward to engaging with the community on this important initiative.
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It should be front and cente in a regional economic regeneration programme built around reopening the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line linking up most of Wale’s universities and growing Lampeter into a new city. With these links this property could be a government hub, a global research cente, a biotech incubator or a central base for university collaboration in research or teaching.
The open-ended nature of the consultation just shows that UCDS hasn’t a clue and isn’t really interested. This is typical of their dodgy chancer approach grabbing any remaining assets of what used to be a fine national institution, the University of Wales.
Box ticking exercise with no real intention other than to remove university education from the site permanently. Dull boring and unimaginative crowd on fat cat salaries, like so many other institutions in Wales
Your post strikes an old fella like me as a tad ironic. I came from north-west England to Lampeter – a place of which I’d never previously even heard! – in 1964 at the age of just 19 as an undergraduate. I ended up spending a full five years as a student there – first as an undergraduate and afterwards pursuing a post-graduate qualification. And at that time SDC Lampeter was finding itself skewered between the Westminster government, which for no obvious reason that I could see, was absolutely set on recognizing and funding universities solely on the condition that… Read more »
How about a University – you could run courses on Asset Stripping
The present ruling regime at UWTSD couldn’t strip any assets, they just drop and break them like kids with toys.