Give feedback on this pageDenbighshire County Council has responded to the written statement that was published by Jane Hutt on 24 July regarding the closure of Hyfrydle.
Ian Miller, Chief Executive, said: “We are rather disappointed by the Minister’s statement, following the discussion that she had with the Leader and interim corporate director: lifelong learning on 23 July. The council was not consulted on the wording of her statement before it was issued”.
Leader, Councillor Hugh Evans, said: “We will work with the Welsh Assembly Government on finding a viable, alternative use for the building as we did on the original development of Hyfrydle as 52 week residential provision. We have considered carefully at all times the implications of the closure decision for the young people placed at Hyfrydle and their families. We have also been mindful of the consequences for those who might have been placed in the coming weeks, and their families, and for staff of the unit. Intensive work is being taken forward both by our own officers, and those of other authorities, to find good alternative placements for the young people affected. We are also doing our utmost to avoid redundancy for the staff involved.
“The Minister’s decision to ask two inspectorates and the Wales Audit Office to review the closure of this facility is noted. We look forward to being properly consulted on the detailed terms of reference for the study.
“The council had already commissioned a review of the project from its conception 4 or 5 years ago, so that any relevant lessons can be learned and other action taken as necessary. We need to ensure that the inspectorate’s work does not duplicate the council’s review and does not divert resources in the council and other partners unnecessarily from other essential work. The terms of reference must also reflect the Welsh Assembly Government’s own involvement in the project and be based on a proper understanding of the facts – for example, the council is responsible for the planning of services for only two young people who are affected by the closure of Hyfrydle whereas the Minister’s statement implies that we are responsible for planning for all the young people affected.
“No reference is made in the Minister’s statement to some of the key facts. The detailed work done by the council shows that the facility is not viable now and is not expected to become viable. A significant element in that assessment is the existence of provision created by the private sector in North Wales and elsewhere in Wales. There are only two young people living in Hyfrydle, only one of whom is from Denbighshire. On this basis, the facility was losing the council £500,000 a year. Even if the three other young people for whom placements had been identified (again only one of them is from Denbighshire) had taken them up, the annual loss to the county council would still have been £300,000. Local residents and others would rightly question the council’s corporate governance and say it was “a matter of concern” if the council had not acted to stem such a significant financial drain on its resources.
“We regret the Minister’s attempt to link a decision on one facility to “wider and systemic matters” and the council’s corporate governance. Major multi-functional organisations such as the Welsh Assembly Government and councils have a large range of projects, the majority of which are implemented satisfactorily. The council will receive a report on Tuesday about the £38.9 million capital programme for 2007-08: this illustrates the many projects that have been successfully managed and completed including the second phase of the development at Ysgol Tir Morfa, the special school in Rhyl, and the redevelopment of Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn.”