THE new boss of Birmingham Metropolitan College has boldly resurrected Stourbridge College's identity after deciding local links win out over a corporate brand.

Andrew Cleaves, who took over from Dame Christine Braddock as principal of the mammoth Midlands college in May, has decided to reintroduce the college's original name amid a £6.5million revamp of its Hagley Road campus.

The name change comes just over a year after B-Met merged with Stourbridge College swamping it with the city based FE college's branding and stripping the Black Country campuses in Stourbridge and Brierley Hill of their previous identities.

Despite big investment by B-Met into the Stourbridge and Brierley Hill sites - the loss of the old Stourbridge College name, the relocation of Stourbridge staff members to other campuses and the college's ability to publish any localised exam results proved highly unpopular.

So much so that just a few months after taking the helm, new principal Mr Cleaves has now rebranded the Black Country sites - having taken on board the views of staff, students and stakeholders.

He said: "I’ve had a lot of interesting and enlightening feedback, the crux of which appears to be that our college is important to the town and that its name should reflect its heritage and status."

Mr Cleaves, a former senior executive with bus company National Express, said it quickly became apparent "the college would be better loved and better run and better able to serve the local agenda if we reinstated it as part of the community and part of Stourbridge".

He added: "I just feel we lost our local links, and our local links are more important than a corporate entity."

The reinstatement of the old college name was welcomed by Stourbridge MP Margot James who said at a celebratory gathering on Friday October 10: "I'm really delighted. I'm very impressed with the direction Andrew's giving to Stourbridge College."

The MP unveiled a plaque at the Hagley Road campus to mark the first phase of a multi-million pound space age makeover of the dated site.

As part of the rebranding - Stourbridge College will also have more autonomy and decision-making powers and staff teams are being restructured - Mr Cleaves said.

Former principal Lynette Cutting, who became deputy of B-Met, remains off sick. Meanwhile Wendy Stevens has been appointed head of campus at Stourbridge.

With the first phase of the Hagley Road redevelopment complete, the site now boasts a new IT suite, science labs, engineering workshop, refectory and learning resources centre.

The second phase, which is due for completion in spring 2015, will see a new centre of excellence for early years and health and social care created, along with a new reception area and entrance for staff, students and visitors.