In light of the potential closure of the Tudor Street Centre, there has been much discussion over what this could mean for vulnerable residents who have utilised it. Following the discontent, politicians have put forth their responses regarding the pending decision.

Cllr Richard John, Leader of the Conservatives in Monmouthshire, was scathing about the idea, saying: “It is completely wrong for an individual councillor to unilaterally close a service relied upon by so many vulnerable people and to do so without any discussion, consultation or scrutiny.

“I was really disappointed that even now, Labour councillor Tudor Thomas has failed to recognise he was in the wrong by railroading this closure through without any formal engagement with the community or other councillors.

“This decision was undemocratic, immoral and opens the council up to legal challenge. Abergavenny residents deserve a proper apology from the Labour administration and a commitment that important decisions will never be made in this undemocratic and high-handed way again.

“When you make a decision such as this you need all the evidence in front of you, including equality impact assessments, a formal public consultation and robust scrutiny through council

committees.

“A cynic would think the administration was rushing this through so they can flog the land for development to avoid new Welsh Government regulations being introduced in June 2023 which would prevent development on the site due to flood risk.

“I hope the administration will be humble about this, admit they’ve got this wrong and commit to an open and robust consultation process so they hear the views of local families who have depended on the services at Tudor Street day centre.”

Meanwhile, in response to the discontent, Cllr Thomas said: “I am grateful to the people who attended and was pleased to listen to their views. While the decision was purely about the on-going function of a building currently not in use, I absolutely understand how entwined this matter is with the wider question of service delivery for people with learning disabilities.

“A full, independent review regarding day support opportunities for people with learning disabilities in the north and central areas of Monmouthshire (My Day My Life) is in progress and it is clear that the right course of action is to await the outcomes from this review before any further decisions are made.

“The full council meeting will have the opportunity to refer the matter for further consideration by cabinet on February 1. I am happy to commit here and now to defer the decision regarding Tudor Street until the review is completed..”