Forth Valley College Alloa campus to stay open

Forth Valley College have announced their Alloa campus is to stay open.

A board meeting was held yesterday.

The College had warned the current three-campus model was no longer financially viable.

Protests have been held over the last few months by trade unions, and local groups.

A College statement said:

“I am delighted to confirm that the Alloa Campus will remain open for 2026/27 to allow us to continue to explore options to secure the long-term delivery of further education from the campus to the communities of Clackmannanshire.

“While the 10% uplift in college funding announced in the Scottish Budget also includes a mix of additional capital and transformation funding - and is not entirely grant-in-aid allocation - we have had a series of positive discussions with the Scottish Funding Council and understand that every college will receive an uplift above inflation. This has given us a degree of confidence about the scale of our funding for 2026/27 and the impact this will have on our previous projected deficit – and ultimately has given the Board the reassurance needed to keep the campus open for the coming academic year. After careful consideration and acting in good faith, the Board have made this decision in the best interests of our staff, students, and partners. This decision was based on the information we currently have available and that our assumptions are reasonable.

“Although we are pleased that the Alloa Campus will remain open for 2026/27, it is important to recognise the ongoing challenges. If the sector receives flat-cash settlements for 2027/28 while meeting above-inflation national pay awards, the College’s longer-term financial sustainability will remain under significant pressure. The sector is approaching a critical point where a more sustainable, long-term funding model is required.

“Please be assured that the Board of Management remains deeply committed to the provision of Further Education across the Forth Valley region.”

Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, said: “Today’s announcement that Forth Valley College’s Alloa Campus will remain open for 2026/27 is great news for communities.

“However, be under no illusion, the 10 per cent uplift from the SNP Scottish Government is nowhere near enough to undo the damage they inflicted on the further education sector during their long tenure.

“What the SNP do not want you to know is that in reality, college funding in Scotland has fallen by 20 per cent in real terms since 2021/22, as reported by Audit Scotland, due to flat-cash settlements which did not follow inflation.

“This is not a long-term solution. The College Board rightly highlighted that if it continues to receive flat-cash settlements in the future, while meeting above-inflation national pay awards, then the college’s long-term future remains uncertain.

“This uplift is a brass neck attempt to woo voters in an election year.

“On the other hand, I would like to pay tribute to trade unions and the local community who have been out in force to protest against the potential closure.

“The fight goes on to secure the long-term future of the college sector in Scotland.”