Redundancies and changes in Ceredigion’s music service will continue despite opposition, after county council Cabinet members said they had no need to alter changes put forward by council officers.

Despite opposition from campaigners and a recommendation from scrutiny committee members that the changes be reconsidered, council leader Ellen ap Gwynn refused, saying that staff redundancies were an “internal” matter and did not need to be addressed by councillors.

Changes to the service are likely to see two members of staff made redundant with suggestions that the timing of lessons could be changed to take place after school or in lunch breaks, and that there could be an increase in the instruments taught.

But after the scrutiny committee requested more work be done to look at the service, Cllr ap Gwynn said it wasn’t up to councillors or Cabinet members to make a decision, as members of the full council had approved a savings target of almost £500,000 without asking where those savings would be made.

This prompted two councillors to admit that they should have asked for more details about how savings could be made.

Cllr ap Gwynn said: “This is not a Cabinet decision, so I’m sorry, we can’t turn back a decision as we haven’t made a decision.

“We have to live within our means.

“This is a staffing matter, not a matter to be discussed on the council floor.

“It’s a restructure so that money that parents pay will go to the service.

“We’re not doing away with the service.”

She added that without making the estimated savings through the music service, there could have to be cuts made to special educational needs budgets.

Cllr Ceredig Davies said he disagreed that the changes did not come under the responsibility of councillors. He said: “I don’t see it as an internal point. We as councillors have to be careful about the line of what we’re responsible for and the guidance we provide to officers.

“I don’t think that should mean that officers can decide things without a political steer.”

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