Plas Madoc Final Decision Due In September As Motion Defeated

A final decision that could make or break Plas Madoc’s future will take place on September 9th after a new motion today was rejected.

The leisure centre closed its doors back in April this year and since then it has been a hot topic of debate among local residents and councillors as a Trust is aiming to take over the running of the centre.

The new motion by Wrexham Independent Group at today’s Executive Board meeting requested £50,000 to help kick start other external co-funding and a delay of demolition of the centre from the 2nd October to the end of October.

A proposed report that was due to be heard in September was described as being ‘too late’, as if a decision was made later it would only allow a couple of weeks for staff to be trained and reopen the centre.

Plas Madoc was closed as part of Wrexham Council’s ongoing ‘Reshaping of Services’ aka budget cuts.

Councillor Hugh Jones spoke resisting the motion, and told of £58,000 previously given to help mothball the centre, and Officer time to help the trust.

He added his thanks and congratulations to the Trust for work done to create a proper business plan, which will be tested for legal and other due diligence in the near future.

Mr Jones said he plans to bring a report before the Council on September 9th which hopefully will move the running of Plas Madoc from the Council to the Trust.

Mr Jones told the meeting that it costs £10,000 a month to keep Plas Madoc mothballed, which is money ‘we do not have’, indicating that whatever the outcome in is in September it is likely to be the final verdict on the centres future.

The meeting in September will have the outcome of due diligence on the Trust’s business plan and associated information.

The motion today failed to be voted ( six votes to two) through the Executive Board, much to the distain of a quite busy public gallery which emptied after the vote.

Quite a few have asked us who voted against the motion today, so we’ve added the names in below:- Cllr Neil Rogers, Cllr Malcolm King, Cllr, Mark Pritchard, Cllr Ian Roberts, Cllr Hugh Jones & Cllr Michael Williams.

UPDATE: As we filed the above from inside the meeting itself, we received a press release from Wrexham Independent Group initially dated today at 11:26am perhaps indicating the likelihood of success of the motion.

The release gave a quote from Councillor David A Bithell Leader of Wrexham Independent Group saying: “Despite considerable opposition and public protests and a motion to give the trust a life line – Labour are trying to give Plas Madoc a Slow Death.

“Deferring this to September 9th is another nail in the coffin, time is running out before the bulldozers move in !”