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The public consultation on the planned closures of Blackwood Miners’ Institute, Llancaiach Fawr, and ‘Meals on Wheels’ is closing at 5pm today – September 10.

Llancaiach Fawr and Blackwood Miners’ Institute could both be “mothballed” and have their funding withdrawn by Caerphilly County Borough Council.

The council is also planning to axe its Meals Direct service, to give Meals on Wheels its official name, in November and signpost current clients to alternative external providers who can offer a similar service.

But the moves have sparked an angry backlash, with critics calling the proposals “cuts in the wrong places”.

The council says it is facing “a huge financial challenge over the next few years and difficult decisions will need to be made in order to balance the budget”.

More information on how to take part in the consultation on Blackwood Miners’ Institute and llancaiach Fawr can be found online at https://conversation.caerphilly.gov.uk/blackwood-miners-institute-and-llancaiach-fawr

To have your say on the planned closure of Meals on Wheel visit https://conversation.caerphilly.gov.uk/meals-direct-service

Plaid Cymru Senedd Members voice concerns

Members of the Senedd for South Wales East Delyth Jewell and Peredur Owen Griffiths have urged residents to make their views known about proposed cuts.

The Plaid Cymru representatives have written to educational trade unions urging them to get their members to respond to the consultation by Caerphilly County Council before the consultation ends today.

The two cultural institutions have several educational programmes.

In a joint statement Delyth Jewell MS and Peredur Owen Griffiths MS said: “We are writing to you as educational trade unions to alert you to the consultation and to urge you to encourage your members in the south east to make their views known. The two cultural institutions are cultural cornerstones of the community and have an important role educationally.

“We appreciate the difficult financial climate for local authorities, however the proposed cuts to two landmark buildings in our county, as well as cuts to a vital service on which so many vulnerable people depend have caused us great concern.

“The Blackwood Miners’ Institute is the centrepiece for performing arts in the whole of the county borough and has been a hub for fostering the local talent of the future, as it provides many opportunities for young people to get into dance, drama and music.

“We are equally concerned about the proposal to close Llancaiach Fawr. The manor house is an historical gem, and unique to our county borough. It provides rich and varied educational opportunities for local schools, as it brings history to life and allows them to understand the role our area played in notable historical events.”

“We need to explore all options and consider ways of doing things differently”

Speaking when the cuts were first announced, Cllr Sean Morgan, the leader of Caerphilly Council, said: “We can’t continue to run our services in the way we always have. We need to explore all options and consider ways of doing things differently.”

The council said it has to make another £45 million in savings over the next two years, on top of what it has been forced to save this year.

“I want to be honest with the community, because it is clear that the scale of savings means we need to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months,” Cllr Morgan added.