The leader of Carmarthenshire county council has moved to play down fears over the future of an Amman Valley education centre.

Last week, the Guardian reported how Cwmaman town council had been contacted by the local authority with a request that it considered taking over responsibility for the management of the Glanaman community education centre in High Street.

The move led to concerns that the centre faced closure as the county council looks to cut costs in the face of a potential £18million budget cut next year.

However, council leader and Garnant councillor Kevin Madge has stressed that no decision had been taken in terms of the centre.

“It is important that people know that there is no closure planned at this stage,” Cllr Madge told the Guardian.

“We are currently nowhere near anything like that happening.

“We are looking at all options, but there are no plans to close the centre at this stage.”

Cllr Madge said a meeting had been scheduled between himself, local member Cllr David Jenkins and members of the authority’s executive committee in September to explore all possibilities.

“We will be doing everything we can to ensure that the services we have at the centre will remain,” said Cllr Madge.

“We need to explore all the options, even if that means it is not the county council running the centre.

“The situation at centres – not just in Glanaman but at centres around the county – needs to be examined.

“We are looking for partners to help with the running of them and we would welcome potential partners to come forward with their ideas.

“I strongly believe that there is always another way of doing things and we must explore all the options we can, but I must stress that no decision on the future of the centre has been made yet.”