Decision due on house (From Barry And District News)

Decision due on house

A LABOUR councillor has accused the leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council of trying to shut the door on a community facility purely for political gain.

Cadoc councillor Fred Johnson believes that the Vale council leader wants to sell off the 108-year-old Cadoxton House because he does not want such a facility to exist in a predominantly Labour ward.

But Cllr Jeff James firmly denies these claims.

He says the reasons for selling off Cadoxton House would be based upon the advice of council officers, who say the building will be too expensive to repair.

The council Cabinet was due to decide what to do with the building last night.

If the building is sold, it will be due to its "current condition and the estimated costs of adaptation and repair".

Cllr Johnson said: "Considering they took so long to sell Barry fire station, why rush to sell Cadoxton House?

"It seems that Jeff James doesn't want to see it reopen and doesn't want people to benefit from getting funding to reopen it.

"The council is making a rash decision. It is purely political and the leader thinks if it reopens, it will become a breeding ground for the Labour party."

Cllr James responded: "The reason why Cadoxton House is on the Cabinet agenda is because the officers of the lifelong and learning committee recommended that the house is sold.

"It is nothing to do with me. I am just working on the professional advice of officers.

"The reason why it is on the agenda is because the services which were carried out have been transferred to the Palmerston Centre, which is literally within a mile of Cadoxton.

"Also the house would cost over 200,000 to bring it into a state of repair, and the council have got school and community centres which are in dire need of investment."

The Friends of Cadoxton House, a non-political group of local people who are aiming to preserve the building, are anxiously awaiting the Cabinet's decision.