The new owners of the Newton Rigg College site, near Penrith, say they have already started working with local groups to ensure they can continue to use facilities at the campus.
Two leading Eden firms — Omega Proteins and AW Jenkinson — have now been confirmed as having bought the college campus.
The site went on the market in highly controversial circumstances, after it was announced by then operator Askham Bryan College, York, that it was no longer viable.
Agricultural and other courses were halted at Newton Rigg from July of this year.
The total value of the Penrith college assets was estimated at £12 million, with proceeds from the sell-off going out of county, to Askham Bryan.
The Yorkshire college was heavily criticised for its actions, including by a leading parliamentary committee.
The sale of the campus was completed in October, with the likely buyers being named in the Herald as the Leo Group, which runs the nearby Omega Proteins animal by-products rendering plant, and AW Jenkinson Forest Products — which has now been confirmed.
In a statement, the two companies say they have started working with local community and sports groups to ensure they can continue to use parts of the campus.
It is revealed that some parts of the site are owned independently by the firms, but they have decided to jointly own areas that can continue to be used by the community.
“This is in line with both business owners’ vision and strategy to support the local community, and other parts of Cumbria, to ensure that local facilities are maintained and kept available for use,” says the statement.
“Both businesses are committed to ensure that facilities that benefit local residents remain well maintained and available for the long-term.
“As our plans develop, we will engage with the community and provide future updates.
“We have already seen the leisure and sporting facilities, which include football pitches, being used by groups including Penrith Walking Football, Penrith AFC and Wetheriggs United FC.”
The Leo Group, owned by businessman Danny Sawrij, is one of the UK’s leading collectors of animal by-products. The company specialises in processing by-products into meals, oils and pet food ingredients, which it exports around the world.
Every year it collects and processes in excess of 1.25 million tonnes of waste material. Its operation produces 130,000 tonnes of protein meal and 70 million litres of purified fats. These are used across a range of industries, including the biofuels, cosmetics, pet food, oleo chemical, agricultural and power industry.
Formed in the 1960s, AW Jenkinson Forest Products is based in Clifton, near Penrith.
Together with its associated partners, the wood fibre company processes more than 3.5 million tonnes of roundwood, chips, sawdust, bark and green compost every year.
