THERE are "absolutely no plans" to close the BBC Engineering Training Centre and Development Centre at Wood Norton, Evesham.

The assurance was given yesterday (Wednesday) by Simon Shute, the general manager, in a response to a letter from Peter Luff, MP for Mid Worcestershire, who has written to Director General Greg Dyke about the Vale facility.

In his letter Mr Luff said he had for some time been concerned about the BBC's plans for Wood Norton and he now understood that the BBC was on the verge of signing a short-term three year contract with a new owner, under which the BBC would purchase accommodation for delegates from the new separate commercial entity.

He understood the first contract was reasonably favourable but was concerned as to what happened afterwards.

"I'm anxious to know what safeguards the BBC has put in place to ensure it still has access to its training facilities there or is the corporation, in fact, planning simply to terminate training at Wood Norton?" he asked.

Mr Luff said he understood the initial purchaser was planning to sell the property on very quickly to another operator and the BBC had no guarantee of its continued operation at Wood Norton as a result.

Mr Luff asked for an urgent response to his inquiry and said he would also appreciate an opportunity to visit Wood Norton as the constituency MP and be briefed by BBC personnel as to exactly what was happening there.

Mr Shute said: "It is true that our understanding is that the accommodation sale is about to go through."

But he stressed: "A condition of the sale is to provide us with accommodation for delegates."

He said the BBC was setting-up a long-term relationship with the purchaser and the safeguards being put in place were contractual with the supplier of the accommodation.

"We are not planning to terminate training at Wood Norton and have absolutely no plans to close the Training Centre," Mr Shute said.