HARLECH was rocked this week by the announcement the town’s historic college building is to close, leaving uncertainty for dozens of students and staff.

Coleg Harlech’s Wern Fawr site, which has been open for 90 years, will cease to provide education for adult learners from September.

The future of the stunning grade-II listed building is now uncertain.

In 2013 Coleg Harlech had to sell off 350 pieces of art in an attempt to relieve some of its £900,000 debt and a feasibility study into the future of the college took place in 2015.

Despite those warning signs, the announcement came as a shock to the whole town as even the community council, which met on Monday night, had not been informed of the imminent closure.

Talks with Coleg Harlech staff are to take place this week, with dozens of students and staff set to be affected by the changes.

Gwynedd councillor Caerwyn Roberts admitted he was “very disappointed” by the news.

“We’re all very disappointed. It mentions services will be ‘relocated’ but I hope that those doing the relocating realise that Meirionnydd is amongst the poorest areas in the UK,” he said.

“Relocating to Bangor or Caernarfon does nothing for us. Losing jobs from the area is the last thing we need. I’m hoping they give that notion due consideration.”

Dwyfor Meirionnydd’s AM Dafydd Elis-Thomas hopes the Welsh Government will fund a feasibility study into future use of the site.

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