11:53am Monday 28th March 2011
By Kelly Smale
LEWISHAM Council is conducting a consultation on closing an adult education centre.
The council is reviewing its adult education services in view of funding cuts from the government's Skills Funding Agency (SFA).
Adult education classes are provided at four sites across the borough: Brockley Rise, Granville Park, Kirkdale Centre and Grove Park.
With its resources and staffing already stretched, the council believes the best way to protect adult learning is to consolidate provision in a smaller number of centres.
It is proposing closing the Kirkdale Centre, but before any decision is made the council is conducting a public consultation running until May 20.
A meeting will be held on March 30 at the Forest Hill Assembly meeting, in Honor Oak Christian Fellowship centre, Honor Oak Road, Forest Hill, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
There will also be a Perry Vale and Sydenham public meeting on April 7, in Naborhood Day Centre, Sydenham Road, Sydenham, from 7pm.
Cabinet member for community services, Councillor Chris Best, said: “Kirkdale is the least suitable of our centres for adult education and the most expensive to maintain.
“Closing Kirkdale would mean we can spend more of this reduced resource on courses for students, and less on maintaining buildings.”
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