Job cuts fears as University of Derby plans college mergers
A union has warned the University of Derby will be "weaker" as part of proposed changes which it is feared could lead to job losses.An internal announcement made to staff, seen by the BBC, states there would be a "reduction in posts" and the university's four colleges would be merged into two as part of the plans.A spokesperson for the University of Derby said the changes were to "ensure the university's long-term sustainability".UNISON East Midlands head of higher education Elliot Dean said: "Cutting these jobs will hit Derby hard."
"You can't provide a first-class university experience without the people who make it happen," he added."Fewer staff means poorer services, less support for students and, ultimately, a weaker university. "Derby deserves a well-resourced institution that invests in its people, not one that trims away the very teams who bring learning and innovation to life."UNISON said it was in the early stages of negotiations with the university and the number of redundancies has not yet been confirmed.The internal email sent to staff states the planned merging of the university colleges would be effective from 1 August this year.The current four colleges will become two - the College of Health and Humanities and the College of Science and Engineering.It adds: "As part of these proposals, we are reviewing academic leadership roles in areas where the change to our colleges will mean we have duplication. "We are also looking at downsizing our professional services management and leadership to align closer to our student base. "Regrettably, this includes some reduction in posts. Those directly affected have already been contacted, and we are now in consultation with them and the relevant unions."
'Gold standard teaching'
A spokesperson at the University of Derby said: "We are the only university in the city and county, contributing millions to the economic prosperity of the region, and we have a responsibility to ensure our long-term sustainability in order to remain one of the area's largest employers and providers of higher education."To ensure we are best positioned to do this, and that we can continue to deliver an outstanding, gold standard teaching and learning experience, we have made proposals which would see us reorganising our academic colleges and aligning our professional services leadership more in line with our student population. "Some roles may well be impacted by these changes."In addition, our standalone Derby Business School, which is on track to exceed recruitment targets this year, will welcome students from across the world to Derby. "Applications are up across the board and these changes will contribute to our continued growth."The announcement has come two months after a round of redundancies were announced for research leadership roles, professors and associate professors.This move was criticised by the University and College Union (UCU), which said the cuts would "cause lasting damage to Derby's academic reputation".
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NEIGHBOURS of a KFC drive thru have warned Britons of the "awful" reality - with disgusting smells, litter and reckless delivery drivers. It comes as the fast food chain has announced a £1.5 billion expansion plan, with 500 new stores set to hit the UK over the next five years. 10 10 10 10 They hope to rival the growth of other chicken shop chains like Popeyes and Wingstop. In addition to its 500 new stores, they will upgrade 200 of their existing stores, as well as taking on managers, chefs, and newly created 'guest experience' roles. Residents in West Wickham, London have warned against the expansion plan, citing littered streets and disgusting smells as just some of the issues the company brought to the area. The site has undergone many transformations over the last decade or so - beginning as the beloved White Hart pub before becoming a taperia, a steakhouse and, as of 2017, a KFC drive thru. 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Derek lives in the retirement village on the opposite side of the KFC. He said that his ground floor flat is ruined by the smell, particularly on summer days when he opens his window. Derek added: 'On a sunny day like today when I open the window it's all I can smell, and it's bad.' Another issue Derek highlighted is the increased traffic caused on quite a small road. Delivery drivers are a particular concern for retirement home residents as he said: 'All you see going there are just guys on bikes with the big boxes for delivery orders, and they have no care for motorists or people walking nearby.' Dean said that traffic is especially bad during peak times, like on a Friday, which can 'create quite a bit of congestion.' Not all residents are as put off by the fast food chain though, as Devin Parmar, 41, said: 'It's actually a selling point - I like the smell.' He added that 'it's really convenient' and that ultimately he is 'glad it's there.' Devin did acknowledge the risk of increased litter with the chain's expansion, however, he said: 'that's more on people throwing rubbish on the floor, not throwing it in a bin.' As long as KFC provides adequate bins and accounts for successful waste management as part of the expansion, Devin thinks it will be a good thing, and the members of the community should learn to take care of their litter. With the news that the store expansion could create 7,000 jobs, Devin said it was nice to see 'a chain… actually investing in the UK which is a good thing' especially 'at a time where people are complaining about cost of living and unemployment rates.' Philip Charsley, 60, shared a similarly positive mindset. He said: 'To be honest I haven't had any problems with it. While he admitted you do 'occasionally get a smell', he said 'it's no worse than somebody that's having a barbecue.' His main issue with the chain is that 'it's just not good food' as he would rather cook from scratch than indulge in the deep fried food. While most residents seemed to agree that its former occupants were better, they were also more apprehensive about what could replace the KFC if it ever shut down. Tim initially expressed a hope that 'it might close down' as he noted it's 'never really that busy.' However, he said: 'The worry now is if that does fail, what do you get next? A McDonalds or a Burger King? I just don't want those sorts of places.' Slightly further down the road is a McDonalds drive thru that Philip says 'causes major traffic issues,' leaving him grateful that the KFC is not very busy. 10 10 10 Long-term residents seem more put-out by the addition to their suburban neighbourhood, while Philip and Devin, who moved to the area four and six years ago respectively, were more positive. With an average Trip a dvisor rating of 1.7, visitors to West Wickham's KFC complain of rude staff, soggy fries, and incorrect orders. While the new initiative could provide new job opportunities, residents of West Wickham empathise with Britons across the country who might be feeling apprehensive about the chain's expansion. Despite Devin's positive attitude, he did acknowledge that 'litter and pest issues will be the main concern for residents across the country as it could cause issues in each of the bubbles near each location.' A spokesperson for Bromley Council said: "Permission was granted for this development over a decade ago, which followed the usual process for determining Planning applications and considered all representations, including from residents, received at that time. "We have had few complaints relating to this property, but residents can raise any concerns, which will be investigated through our Planning or Public Protection Enforcement teams as required." We have approached KFC for comment.
