Coffi Vista tourist information closure threat raised in Senedd

The proposed closure of Coffi Vista, better known locally as Caerphilly town’s tourist information centre, has been raised in the Senedd.

A decision on its future is set to be made by Caerphilly County Borough Council by the end of this month, with the centre facing closure at the end of March.

Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru’s deputy leader, raised concerns in the Senedd on Tuesday January 9.

The South Wales East MS called for a statement on the guidance given to councils on the importance of community assets and keeping such spaces open.

Ms Jewell: “In Caerphilly over the past week, there has been concern about a decision to close the tourist information centre.

“Now, it isn’t just a tourist information centre – it’s actually a very popular cafe and a hub for people in the area.

“This site also houses public toilets and a gallery which showcases local art.

“It’s a really important asset locally to the community – it probably has the best view of the castle in the entire town.

“It’s great for attracting tourists and there has been bafflement locally about how a decision like this can be made without notifying staff.

“This is a local decision. The Welsh Government has no bearing on it.”

She continued: “I think it would be useful to set out a statement showing what guidance and support could be given to councils to help ensure that community hubs like this can be saved, so, as Caerphilly Observer has put it, a value can be attributed to local amenities like this that goes beyond any number that could be added to a spreadsheet.”

Welsh Government minister Lesley Griffiths was confident that guidance is already provided to councils on community assets.

She raised budgetary pressures, saying she was not sure any funding at all could be given.

Ms Griffiths said: “The minister for social justice [Jane Hutt] is in her seat and will have heard your question. If there is any other support that could be provided or guidance could be updated, we will certainly have a look at it.”

“Big financial loss”

Caerphilly’s Labour MS Hefin David said he has spoken with Caerphilly County Borough Council to raise his concerns.

He said: “It’s clear that they don’t want to close the building but they told me that they are currently making a big financial loss on the cafe.

“It’s really important that there is a hospitality presence maintained there.

“I think this can be done through a small business or social enterprise running a cafe as a tenant. That would also enable the toilets to remain open to the public.

“I would also like reassurances about the jobs of those working at Coffi Vista.”

Dr David continued: “I’m meeting with the leader of CCBC, Cllr Sean Morgan on Friday and I will be discussing these issues with him then.”

Council response

A spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council previously said: “The council is facing a budget shortfall of around £55 million over the next two years, so it is clear that we will need to make a number of difficult decisions in order to meet this significant financial challenge.

“A list of proposed budget savings will be announced over the coming weeks and these will be subject to a period of public consultation before the 2024/25 budget is agreed at the end of February.

“The council has a duty to protect the public purse and will be looking at a range of savings options, particularly services that are subject to high subsidy, are non-statutory or can be delivered in a different way.

“We would encourage the community to have their say at the appropriate time.”