TWO projects which provide work opportunities for about 75 disabled people in Wrexham look set to be closed as part of the latest round of council cuts.

Wrexham Council has been carrying out a controversial review of its disability services in a bid to save £334,000.

The move has already resulted in several local authority-run businesses shutting down, including Le Cafe and Portable Appliance Testing in Rhosddu, along with the Coverall laundry in Rhosymedre.

Senior figures have now revealed their intention to go ahead with plans which could lead to the Cunliffe Enablement Centre in Rhosddu closing its doors.

Meanwhile, the Erlas Garden Project would no longer be managed by the council’s social care department.

In a report, a member of the authority’s independent and Conservative-led executive board said alternative community-based arrangements would be found to support people impacted by the changes.

Cllr Joan Lowe, lead member for health and adult social care, said: “The Cunliffe Enablement Centre and Erlas Garden project deliver good services that are well regarded by service users, their families and carers.

“There are a however a number of issues and challenges with the sites and facilities that mean they do not offer the best opportunities for community participation and can limit community inclusion.

“The proposal is for the council to reshape day and work opportunities services to deliver more flexible, person centred services that are fit for purpose, offer quality, are sustainable and make more effective use of available resources.

“To achieve this necessary transformation the council needs to relocate services provided at Erlas Garden project and Cunliffe Enablement Centre and focus on community participation for people who use the services provided by social care.”

The changes to the service form part of cuts agreed by executive board members for 2019/20, which were met with anger by opposition councillors last year.

It came after calls for the previous set of closures to be delayed were dismissed, despite concerns about the lack of information surrounding the replacement service.

There are currently 39 people supported at the Cunliffe Enablement Centre and 36 at the Erlas Garden project.

Under the proposals, the council wants to move away from providing centralised services at the enablement centre, however it is exploring the possibility of continuing to offer some opportunities at the Erlas site through a separate community organisation.

The latest plans will be discussed at a meeting of the authority’s safeguarding, communities and wellbeing scrutiny committee on Wednesday.