Plans to reportedly shut down an adult education centre have been slammed as “irrational” and “poorly thought-through” by a council leader.

It is understood The Victoria Centre, in Darnley Road, Gravesend, is being closed by Kent County Council (KCC).

In correspondence between the leader of Gravesham council, Cllr John Burden, and KCC’s cabinet member for education and skills, Cllr Rory Love, Cllr Love appeared to confirm the decision had already been made.

Cllr Burden has since written to his counterpart at KCC, Cllr Roger Gough, criticising the lack of consultation with the local authority and its residents and the legality of the decision-making process.

Cllr Burden said: “The minutes for the meeting where this item was considered are yet to be published, so I am unable to understand the discussion leading to the decision and whether the requisite public notifications were made that such a decision would be considered in a private part of the meeting.

“I also question the practice of simply accepting the Department for Education’s opinion that the Equality Impact Assessment shows limited impacts, even when the Equality Impact Assessment appended to the report shows negative impacts on multiple groups.

“I see no evidence of consultation in relation to this decision, which Cllr Love makes clear has already been made, so surely any forthcoming consultation would be a meaningless exercise, and therefore a clear breach of the regulations.

“This seems to me to be yet another decision made by KCC without taking into account the impact it will have on our community.

“As the upper tier authority with responsibility for public health and education, I am at an absolute loss as to how you can be comfortable with the erosion of such an important provision.”

It is understood that KCC is making efforts to secure suitable alternative premises in Gravesend and is also looking for community venues within Northfleet.

However, Cllr Burden said: “For the avoidance of doubt, increased skills provision by KCC within Northfleet is something I and my colleagues would value, given the wards of Northfleet rank within the 10% most deprived in the country, but this should not - and cannot - be at the expense of provision within Gravesend as there are equally disadvantaged wards within Gravesend served by the Victoria Centre.”

The letter stated that Gravesham is the fifth most deprived local authority in Kent with pockets of Northfleet and Westcourt within the top 10% of most deprived wards in England.

It also said that one in five residents have no qualifications with below average figures for those with skills and qualifications at Level 3 and only 26.7% had a Level 4 and above.

Cllr Burden added: “The Victoria Centre is centrally placed within Gravesend, making it accessible for those who cannot rely on car travel, for example, but is within walking distance for those living in some of the most deprived wards.

“Closing the physical site would lead to an erosion of the provision of adult skills facilities within the borough and exacerbate the situation within Gravesham.

“This view remains, even if there was a proposal to move to an outreach or virtual delivery model.

“I am also aware that the Kent Training Apprenticeship deliver its service from this building; so, closing this facility will further exacerbate the impact of skills provision for our community.

“To close an Adult Education Centre in one of the most challenged parts of the county makes no sense, is a poorly thought-through and irrational approach, and will simply put insurmountable barriers in the paths of those within our community who would seek to better their prospects.

“It has the distinct flavour of being a decision taken with the cost of everything and the value of nothing at its heart; a decision driven by the costs of maintaining the premises rather than consideration of the benefits to a local community that so desperately needs the services delivered from those premises.

“Based on previous decisions taken by KCC, I have absolutely no confidence that a community-based education and skills offer in Gravesham would do anything other than dilute the provision that the Victoria Centre currently offers our residents, and I implore you to reconsider the decision that you appear to have taken to close the premises.”

However, a KCC spokesperson said no final decision has been made.

They added: “We know how important it is to have locations for our services that work for our residents, including our Kent Adult Education offer.

“Recently the centre we use to deliver courses in Gravesend has been identified as in an increasing state of disrepair with unaffordable modernisation of assets costs. No final decision has been taken.

“We are keen to maintain a smaller, affordable fixed presence in the town for both teaching and exams.”