Wrexham disability work opportunity cuts backed

Martin Grice prepares food and serves customers at the Alyn Waters country park

A group of council-run businesses which provide work opportunities for people with disabilities in Wrexham are to close following a bad-tempered meeting.

Le Cafe and Portable Appliance Testing in Rhosddu will close, along with the Coverall laundry in Rhosymedre.

The cafe at Alyn Waters Country Park in Gwersyllt will be found new operators.

Some councillors accused the ruling executive board of ignoring calls to hold off until new arrangements for the 36 people affected were in place.

Council officers recommended the closures as a means of saving £334,000.

In a fiery meeting on Tuesday, Labour councillor Derek Wright accused the executive board of having "no regard or respect" for councillors who asked for a delay, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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Council leader Mark Pritchard rejected the criticism as "unfair", while Joan Lowe, lead member for health and adult social care, pledged that everyone affected would be supported to find a new job.

But Plaid Cymru group leader Marc Jones criticised the lack of detail, saying: "What we don't say in this report is what we're going to offer people after this."

Executive board members unanimously voted in favour of the proposals, but agreed to give the scrutiny committee a progress report in six months' time.

Karen Hughes' sister, Helen, uses the Day and Work Opportunities scheme to work at a cafe

Relatives of two people with Down's syndrome told the BBC after the plans were first proposed they feared they could lose the independence and self-worth they got from their work placements at the Alyn Waters cafe.

Karen Hughes, from Holt, told the BBC in May that closing or changing services may end up costing the council more to provide support for people like her sister Helen.

Jackie Grice, from Bangor-on-Dee, said her son Martin "loves" his work at the cafe, and worried he may "withdraw into himself" if he lost the opportunity.