FOI response reveals no offers for operator to take over running of historic Tudor manor house

Caerphilly Council has yet to receive any offers to take over the running of Llancaiach Fawr, a Freedom of Information (FOI) response has revealed.

Fifteen viewings of the former Tudor manor house had been arranged since marketing began in January, according to the FOI response to Plaid Cymru from the authority.

Described as “the jewel in the crown” of Caerphilly’s cultural attractions, Llancaiach Fawr closed on 22 December after its funding was cut by the local authority.

The council had been spending just short of £500,000 a year subsidising the popular attraction.

In January this year the council indicated that it expected to have a new operator in place by the end of April.

Potential

Speaking at the time, the council’s deputy leader Cllr Jamie Pritchard said Llancaiach Fawr “offers so much potential for new operators”.

He added: “What is certain is that the council will be looking for an operation that becomes a strong local economic driver that compliments the existing leisure and hospitality offers in the county borough.”

Councillor Lindsay Whittle, leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly Council, said: “The closure was yet another flawed decision by the Labour Cabinet, made against the opposition of the public and many councillors. It was a retrograde step.

“We want to see Llancaiach Fawr reopened to the public as soon as possible but given the lack of submissions of interest so far then we might be waiting quite a long time. It really is scandalous that this tourist and historical icon of Caerphilly remains shut.”

Caerphilly Council also revealed that 37 full and part-time members of staff had been made redundant with payments of £140,979 made. One member of staff had their contract extended to the end of this month to maintain the open space while two other staff had secured permanent redeployment.

The council spent £43,654 on maintenance and security costs in the last financial year and the provisional budget for this financial year was set at £39,558.

Irreplaceable

Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales East added: “”Llancaiach Fawr is irreplaceable for our communities. It isn’t just a building: it represents centuries of lived experience, which for decades was passed on to children in our area who could visit and step back into the past.

“ I was one of thousands of children who benefited from these school trips, and in more recent years I’ve loved spending time in the cafe and in fairs and carol concerts.  It really was the centre of the community.  Many of us warned that if the council closed its doors, they might never reopen again.  What a crying shame it will be if that turns out to be the case.”

in response, Caerphilly Council said that following a series of open days held at Llancaiach Fawr Manor, interested parties have submitted business cases. These business cases will now be considered to determine who will take over the running of this historic site.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Prosperity, Regeneration & Transformation said “We have received a high level of interest from a range of organisations. So much so, we ran more open days than originally envisaged. We look forward to updating the public in due course”.

The Council also recently agreed to host The Bedwellty Show at Llancaiach Fawr on Saturday 16th August and is encouraging people to attend.