Adult education centres axed after private meeting

The authority said it would no longer provide the service from the Eco Centre near Wirksworth

Adult education services at five centres are to stop after Derbyshire County Council held a meeting behind closed doors.

The Reform UK-controlled council said the decision was made in private due to it being a "business critical decision" due to rapid changes to the grant conditions.

The authority said Ashbourne Adult Education Centre, the Derbyshire Eco Centre near Wirksworth, Community House in Long Eaton, The Ritz in Matlock and the Shirebrook Adult Education Centre would be affected.

The Department for Education said most adult education funding had been transferred to the East Midlands Mayoral Strategic Authority.

As well as the decision being made in private, no provision has been made for a public consultation on it, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

This follows the council opting to close two centres in Alfreton and Glossop, in similar circumstances, it said.

Jack Bradley, cabinet member for SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and education, said: "Unfortunately the funding we have from the government does not support the courses that we run from these venues so the service no longer needs the buildings.

"Our property team will now carefully look at all the buildings to make decisions as to what could happen with them. Those we own could be sold, or leased to other organisations. No decisions on the future of the buildings have been made."

The move follows a government announcement that the Department for Education is looking to apply funding cuts and changes for providers to adult skills fund allocations for the 2025-26 academic year.

Roger Jackson has been campaigning to save the Eco Centre for several months

A report to the council said the closures would affect 1,337 learners and the overall cost of the five centres was £1.044m, averaging £1,050 per learner.

The cost per learner varied drastically between centres, with the Eco Centre in Middleton-by-Wirksworth costing £498 per learner, which rose to £1,462 in Long Eaton.

The council added it was liaising with users of the buildings and would continue to offer a range of courses across the county from the remaining 10 adult education centres.

Bradley said: "Not running any courses from these five buildings future-proofs the whole adult education service, puts us in a similar position to other councils, and importantly makes sure that we can afford to run the adult education service within the money we receive from the government."

He added the adult education service would seek cabinet agreement in the autumn to consult with all stakeholders on a full review.

Roger Jackson, a campaigner who had been working to save one of the centres, said: "There is a group that has got together to put proposals to the council about the future of the Eco Centre and we are working on that in a practical way.

"Obviously, it's devastating for a lot of people who have been using the adult education centres for a lot of years and benefiting greatly from it, but we are just trying to be practical about it in terms of the Eco Centre which is what quite a few of others came together around as well as the other centres.

"It's devastating that it's closing."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We have further devolved adult skills funding to give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas.

"For Derbyshire, the funding has been transferred to East Midlands Mayoral Strategic Authority.

"Adult education is key to our mission to grow the economy through our Plan for Change, which is why we are spending over £1.4bn this financial year on the Adult Skills Fund despite the challenging fiscal environment, as well as launching Technical Excellence Colleges like the construction TEC at Derby College."