'Er ... Sorry, We Don't Actually Know How Much We Will Save'

Summary

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Council chiefs have admitted they do not know how much they will save by closing the under-threat Friary. Budget papers state the proposal to evict 1,600 young musicians and 750 adult learners from the Cardiff venue would net them about pounds 190,000. But as officers do not know where the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Music Service or the adult learners' classes will be moved to, they are unable to work out the real savings. The Echo's Save the Friary Campaign, launched yesterday in a bid to press the council to keep the service open, has already received massive backing from parents, children and politicians. At yesterday's meeting of the council's children and young people scrutiny committee, Councillor Mark Stephens said more information was needed before the real savings were calculated. And education chiefs also admitted that if the centre closes, classes for the adults and rehearsals for all 29 music ensembles would have to be held in different buildings around the capital. Chris Jones, planning resources and services manager, told the committee that no single-centre replacement building had been found and a combination of training centres and community centres as well as schools was being considered. He also said the move was not just financial but it was hoped by moving rehearsals out of the city centre, it would raise the profile of the music service. Campaigners fear moving to venues around the city would make it less accessible to those using public transport. Coun Linda Morgan, a music teacher and mum of three children who attended rehearsals at the Friary, said: 'I know that before the Friary was opened families who had to rely on public transport to get to and from rehearsals at different venues around the city found it too much. 'After a few weeks they gave up and their children missed out.' One music service insider, who did not want to be named, said: 'The initial justification was to save money but it is incredible at this late stage that the council cannot say what the savings are.' Concerned parents are due to meet at the Friary tomorrow at 11am.: CENTRE COSTS pounds 290,000 TO RUN:The council says the Friary costs pounds 290,000 to run each year. This cost is made up of pounds 67,000 payable to the Principality Building Society which owns the building, pounds 115,000 payable as business rates and pounds 108,000 in other premises-related costs, mainly caretaking, cleaning and services.

Responding to a question on how the pounds 290,000 costs were funded, a council spokeswoman said: 'The budget was generated by a council budget of pounds 82,000, rental charges to the music service of pounds 78,000, rental charges to lifelong learning of pounds 88,000 and other lettings amounting to pounds 42,000.': How you can help:We want you to join our Save the Friary Campaign. Either fill in the form on this page and send it to us or log on to http:// icwales. icnetwork.co.uk/capitalcity/ and fill in a form online. We also have petition forms in our reception at Thomson House in Havelock Street and you can ask for one from our city centre newspaper vendors today. You can also ring our newsdesk on 029 2058 3622 with your views and ask for a petition form to be sent out in the post.: THE ECHO SAYS:How can a building be closed on the pretext of saving money when nobody yet knows the amount of money it would save? Proposals to shut the popular Friary centre and scatter the services it provides across Cardiff do not appear to have been very well thought-out.

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'Er ... Sorry, We Don't Actually Know How Much We Will Save'

Cardiff council faces a struggle to justify its closure plans if it ...

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