CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to cut service provision at further education centres in Torfaen have slammed a consultation exercise on the cutbacks branding it “a sham”.

They spoke out after Torfaen council moved employees into the Settlement education centre in Pontypool as part of an austerity programme last autumn.

The campaigners feared the decision could mean the end for the centre, which has been used to teach adults for decades.

Nearly 400 people signed a petition against the move but council chiefs have refused to relocate its workers out of the first floor of the centre.

In November, council leader Bob Wellington also admitted making an off-hand comment he was going to close the valued community centre but later retracted it.

Two other further education centres in Torfaen, the Power Station in Cwmbran and Croesyceiliog Community Education Centre face being affected by the austerity programme.

Torfaen council has launched a consultation exercise with representatives from the three education centres, including members of the Save the Settlement campaign group.

However, the campaigners believe they have not had meaningful involvement with the consultation process and have not been provided adequate financial information on possible cutbacks.

Campaign group member Jean Brill said: “I and many of the members of the Settlement believe that Torfaen council intend to close the Settlement and use it for council offices if they can find the slightest, probably financial, excuse.

“The users of the adult education centres, the Settlement, Croesyceiliog and Power Station, should be engaged and involved in the modelling of options, at different levels of grant cut.

“The first two centre users consultation meetings turned out to be worse that I feared. They were a complete sham.”

Another Settlement campaigner Carole Richards said: “We are still fighting.

“We realise now they have taken over upstairs at the centre and stopped us from using two rooms we used to use at the centre.

“We don’t want them to get anymore. Certainly they have not promised that they won’t.”

Torfaen council said last year its education service had to make £90,000 of savings because of Welsh Government cuts.

A council spokesman acknowledged the sharing of facilities at the Settlement and Power Station implemented last September could reduce the number of rooms available for learning but hoped the changes could help to maintain adult learning throughout Torfaen.