Cornwall Council has admitted to a mistake regarding the closure of education centres, sparking concerns among local councillors and residents.
Penzance: So, Cornwall Council recently admitted they messed up. They sent out leaflets about adult education centres that were already marked for closure. This happened before any discussions were even finished. One councillor was pretty upset when he got the leaflet and wondered if it should be looked at by a committee.
Just last week, the council’s own committee said they couldn’t back the closures in places like Camelford, Callington, and St Austell. A decision to close these centres was made last month, but it was put on hold while they talked to local councillors.
Even with talks still happening, leaflets went out to thousands of homes. These leaflets only showed the centres that are safe, like Bude and Newquay. It’s a bit confusing, right?
Cllr Tim Dwelly, who represents Penzance East, wrote to the council asking what the point of member engagement was if they were sending out misleading leaflets. He pointed out that the map already removed places like Penzance and St Austell.
A spokesperson for the council said the decision was made after talking to service users. But now, they’re revisiting it after more discussions with local members. They admitted the leaflets were sent out by mistake based on an earlier decision.
The council has said that adult education numbers haven’t bounced back since Covid. With rising costs, it’s tough to keep all seven centres open. Some folks have called the proposal “vindictive” and “chaotic.”
