ABERYSTWYTH University resolved to close its only remaining nursery three months before the institution informed parents, documents have revealed.

Despite closing Penglais Nursery, the university will also have to continue to pay the £33,240 a year rent on the now-empty building for the next 94 years, documents revealed under the Freedom of Information Act have outlined.

University chiefs told parents with children at the nursery on 1 July “to make alternative arrangements” as the facility was set to close on 1 August, with staff being made redundant or redeployed.

In the previous few months, the university had insisted to parents, staff and the Cambrian News that “no decision” had been made on the future of the nursery while a consultation continued.

However, documents reveal that it was resolved at a meeting of the University’s Finance and Strategy Committee on 8 April that the decision was made for “the University Executive [to] move forward with the closure of the Penglais Nursery”.

That decision came fully three months before parents were told of the plans.

Aberystwyth University said that the finance and strategy committee’s decision to close Penglais Nursery still had to be ratified by the university council before parents could be informed.

“Major decisions such as this have to follow proper process,” a spokesperson said.

“The final decision was made when the university council agreed the budget on 29 June and a formal letter of notice was sent to parents on 1 July."

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