Future of Clarence House is safe

Published: 3:41 PM March 14, 2007 Updated: 10:55 PM February 22, 2021

WITH reference to your recent article about fears of closure for Clarence House in Thaxted, I have sought reassurance from Cllr Iris Pummell, who is cabinet member with responsibility for libraries and adult education. She points out that irrespective of

WITH reference to your recent article about fears of closure for Clarence House in Thaxted, I have sought reassurance from Cllr Iris Pummell, who is cabinet member with responsibility for libraries and adult education.

She points out that irrespective of adult education attendance, as the library was moved to Clarence House, she has no intention of closing it.

With regards adult education, two key points need to be made. First, the Government is insisting that students must pay at least 50 per cent of the course costs by 2010. This means fees will have to be gradually increased to meet that requirement.

In addition, funding allocation to the county council from the Learning and Skills Council has fallen by an average of 10 per cent over the past two years and this places extra budget strains on the service, meaning less money has to go further, and is one of the reasons for the present review.

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I suggest the LibDems direct their concerns to the Labour government that squeezes the provision of local services and not to an efficiently run Conservative county council.

Cllr Simon Walsh