UPDATE: MP slams 'cowardly' Construction Industry Training Board in West Norfolk HQ row

A West Norfolk MP says he feels "personally let down" after the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) today confirmed plans to "actively seek" a new head office away from West Norfolk.

The move comes despite thousands signing petitions against the proposed move from Bircham Newton and calls for CITB bosses to resign or be sacked if they didn't change their mind.

Although the board has claimed a move to Peterborough is "a necessary step", North West Norfolk MP Sir Henry Bellingham claims that contradicts what he was told during recent talks with senior figures.

In a statement released a short time ago, Sir Henry said he had been given an assurance that consultations on the location of the CITB's headquarters would continue until the autumn and officials would listen to proposals for the Bircham site.

He went on: "However, they are now telling us that it is pretty well a done deal and that they plan to a sign a lease later this year and complete the move by January 2020.

"I feel personally very let down by the new chairman but apart from anything else this decision is completely illogical and ill thought out."

He added: "This is actually a thoroughly cowardly decision by an organisation that is fast losing the trust and confidence of its staff and local residents.

“What the CITB seem to completely forget is that they raise their money through a Statutory Levy approved by Parliament; and this obviously means that they cannot just go around behaving like a private sector organisation that can ignore local MPs, local councils and the local LEP.”

“This is why I am now calling on the CITB to abandon the daft idea of moving to Peterborough as their only specific alternative and to go on genuinely consulting on staying at Bircham in line with what we were originally promised.”

Earlier in the day, CITB chief executive, Sarah Beale, said: “British construction firms pay their levy and rightly expect high-quality skills as a result.

"The creation of a single head office will bring us closer to our customers and create the right environment to ensure that CITB delivers the ‘levy in, skills out’ focus that industry and Government have demanded.

Chairman Peter Lauener added: "We are committed to doing everything we can to maximise the development of the CITB’s site in Bircham Newton and thereby leave a lasting legacy for the local community and the economy of North Norfolk."

The CITB says it hopes to sign a lease on a new home later this year and complete a move in early 2020.

But the move will provoke renewed anger in communities around Bircham, which have united in their opposition to the CITB's plans in recent months.

Campaigners presented a petition containing the signatures of more than 2,000 residents to Sir Henry on Friday, while a further online petition attracted around 900 more supporters and union leaders also put forward their own petition.

Speaking ahead of the board's announcement, local vicar the Rev Peter Cook, whose parishes include Bircham, said the board should resign or be replaced if it intended to press ahead with its proposals.

He said: "We cannot allow this Executive Board to push through disastrous reforms that will be detrimental rather than beneficial to the future of the construction industry.

"The Chairman of the CITB, along with ministers, needs to act now to make sure that the National Construction College will survive and continue to be an outstanding education establishment."

But Ms Beale said the measures would help to secure the board's long-term future.

She said: "For a number of us who work at CITB, this change will be a challenge as well as an opportunity.

"Peterborough was selected as the preferred location with colleagues, as well as customers, in mind as it offers the greatest potential to reduce redundancies, therefore retaining some talented colleagues, whilst meeting our future needs.

"We will be working with unions and elected employee representatives to ensure their views are heard throughout the change process."