Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
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The existing site of Wesley
College, Bristol; and Cliff College
A location in Manchester; and
Cliff College
A location in London; and Cliff
College
The Queen’s Foundation,
Birmingham; and Cliff College
Wesley House, Cambridge
(as currently configured, as a
centre within other premises in
Cambridge, and operating on
two sites (in Cambridge and
London)); and Cliff College
The Wesley Study Centre,
Durham (as currently configured,
as a centre within other premises
in Durham, and operating on two
sites (in Durham and London));
and Cliff College
The Queen’s Foundation,
Birmingham; Wesley House,
Cambridge (as currently
configured and as a centre within
other premises in Cambridge);
and Cliff College
The Queen’s Foundation,
Birmingham; the Wesley Study
Centre, Durham (as currently
configured and as a centre within
other premises in Durham); and
Cliff College
Wesley House, Cambridge (as
currently configured and as a
centre within other premises in
Cambridge); the Wesley Study
Centre, Durham (as currently
configured and as a centre within
other premises in Durham); and
Cliff College
232 For the second round, the first three
configurations were removed, as
deliberations during the first round
had identified them as being the
weakest configurations. In the case
of the existing site of Wesley College,
Bristol, the committee noted that the
decision of the 2007 Conference to
withdraw full-time student ministers
from the College, and the decision
of the 2010 Conference to close the
College, had necessarily meant that
relationships with local ecumenical
partners and with local Higher
Education sector partners had
diminished, and that the College
was no longer a centre of good
practice in ministerial formation and
development. Significant capital
expenditure would be required to
renovate the premises for use as a
centre. Furthermore, in accordance
with the mandate of the 2011
Conference, the market for the site
is being promisingly tested, and the
Committee concluded that there
was insufficient evidence to suggest
that the Conference should alter its
view of the site as an investment
asset. In the case of locations
in Manchester and London, the
accessibility of both locations was
noted. However, the developmental
work and the very significant capital
expenditure which would be likely to
be required to establish a centre in
either location was also noted by the
Committee, as was the possible loss
to the Methodist Church of the use
of the premises and assets currently
available at both Birmingham and
Cambridge should a new centre
be established in new premises in
Conference Agenda 2012 739