The potential closure of adult training centres across Derbyshire could “strangle communities” and “hamper growth”, it is feared

The potential closure of adult training centres across Derbyshire could “strangle communities” and “hamper growth”, it is feared.

Plans from Derbyshire County Council will see two of its 15 adult education centres close by the end of July and the future of five centres at risk, while eight will be unaffected, the Local Democracy Reporting Service can confirm.

The authority, now run by Reform UK, appears to have informed the affected centres and groups who operate from them about the planned closures.

However, the council, elected on a pledge of openness and transparency, has not published any documents outlining the decisions, the costs involved, proposed savings, alternative options considered, the usage of the centres, decision-making process or impact on staff and users.

Asked a slew of detailed questions, the council did not say how much money could be saved or provide information on the number of staff affected or data on centre usage.

However, the council says “some” centres were “not used to their full potential” and proposed cuts related to a reduction in adult skills funding and a push for “efficiency”.

Its cabinet member for education, Reform Cllr Jack Bradley, which includes the responsibility for the adult training centres, has been approached for comment but has not responded.

The council runs 15 adult community education centres across the county in Alfreton, Ashbourne, Bolsover, Buxton, Chesterfield, Clay Cross, Cotmanhay, Glossop, Holmewood, Long Eaton, Matlock, Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Shirebrook and Swadlincote, with courses also delivered from 100 further community venues.

Council officials confirmed to the LDRS that the Toolbox (one of two centres in Glossop) will close by the end of July, along with the Genesis Centre in Alfreton.

Meanwhile, the five centres in Ashbourne, Matlock, Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Shirebrook and Long Eaton are at risk, officials told the LDRS.

The remaining centres in Bolsover, Buxton, Chesterfield, Clay Cross, Cotmanhay, one in Glossop, Holmewood and Swadlincote are unaffected, officials confirmed.

A total of 200 courses are still available to be booked on the council website, many of which are free, including classes teaching English as a second language, a diploma in children and young people’s workforce, a diploma in children’s learning and development, maths, bushcraft, dry-stone walling, women in DIY, upholstery, interview skills, construction skills, cooking and creative arts.

Many of the courses are not due to start until September, two months after the closure of two of the centres.

Council officials said: “Two of our adult education buildings will be closing at the end of July. One is the Toolbox in Glossop. 

“This currently runs from a building on the Brookfield Industrial Estate in Glossop. The council owns the whole of the industrial estate and this is being sold. Courses will continue to be delivered from the Glossop Adult Education Centre, a short distance away.

“In Alfreton, the council’s lease on the Genesis Centre is ending and we will need to move out of this building. We are looking for alternative venues to run courses in the next academic year, and as soon as we have news on this we will let the local community and our learners know.

“For five of our other centres, the Eco Centre in Wirksworth, and our centres in Ashbourne, Matlock, Shirebrook and Long Eaton, because of reductions in funding and changes in what we can do with the money we receive from the Government, we are looking at all options.

“We have not made the decision to close these centres. We may need to carry out a consultation, and any decision will be made by our cabinet.”

Officials, detailing that the proposed cuts were due to a reduction in adult skills funding, said: “No decisions have yet been taken and we will consult with our stakeholders before any are made. 

“There have been recent changes to government grants that fund adult education, such as the removal of the Multiply Programme funding from April 2025, and a projected reduction in national Adult Skills Fund allocation by between 2-6 per cent in the academic year 2025/26. 

“As a result we are reviewing our operating model and decisions will need to be taken around the delivery of courses in the most effective and efficient way for adult learners across the county. 

“We are considering a range of options to realign where and how adult education is delivered across current centres, including consolidation of service provision, reductions or increases in operating hours in certain centres to meet local need.”

Asked if the proposals were related to a new decision from the Reform administration or a follow-through from the previous Conservative administration, officials appeared to confirm the former, saying it was carrying out a review due to funding changes.

It said: “The council is committed to ensuring effective and efficient service delivery across Derbyshire and this is central to the review.”

Asked how much money the potential closure plans and alternative options could save, the council did not provide any data.

On the number of staff who could be affected, the council said it was carrying out a “review” and workforce would be “considered”.

Asked if the centres were poorly used and for usage figures, the council said: “Some of our centres are not used to their full potential and we are formulating the data and the efficiency of the operating model within the review.”

Huw Morgan, a retired video producer and university lecturer living in Wirksworth, has been a regular participant in courses at the Derbyshire Eco Centre in Middleton-by-Wirksworth for years, including fond memories of a stained-glass workshop.

Mr Morgan, aged 61, said: “The Eco Centre was a vital local community resource, that was always welcoming, energetic and a happy place. It’s so sad when education gets targeted by any level of government, as it strangles communities and its potential for creative growth.”