THE Clwyd West MS, Darren Millar, has slammed a decision to close the Senedd offices in Colwyn Bay without consulting him as the member.

The proposals were made public during a debate this week on the Senedd Commission budget.

Senedd Commissioner Ken Skates MS confirmed the intention to close the Senedd offices in Colwyn Bay and relocate them into the Welsh Government offices in Llandudno Junction from next year as part of a cost saving exercise.

Mr Millar said: “I am outraged by this decision which will leave a huge void in Colwyn Bay and add to the already existing confusion between the Senedd and the Welsh Government.

“There was no consultation with me as the local elected Member whose constituency is directly affected by the change prior to the decision being made.

“This is a big move and should have involved proper consultation, the lack of engagement is quite frankly appalling.

“I made the Senedd Commissioner aware of my strong objections and disappointment in the Chamber yesterday and will be taking it up further.”

A Senedd Commission spokesperson said: “Since the pandemic, we have been looking at ways staff across Wales can continue to work efficiently, ensuring we get the best value for money for taxpayers.

"Co-locating our offices with other public-sector organisations will provide significant savings.

“We have consulted the cross-party Senedd Commissioners and discussions are ongoing to make sure we continue to provide a good service to people living across Wales.

"The Senedd Commission remains fully committed to having a strong presence in North Wales.”

Elsewhere, David Jones, the MP for Clwyd West, disagreed with Mr Millar, believing the closure of the offices to be a positive move.

He said: "It is good news that the office is closing; it has been a white elephant for some considerable time.

"It was originally intended as a visitor centre, but attracted embarrassingly few visitors, as revealed by the response to an Freedom of Information request that I submitted several years ago.

"I very much hope that the premises will quickly be taken over by a commercial organisation that will make a positive contribution to the local economy."

Janet Finch-Saunders, the MS for Aberconwy, added: “I have the pleasure of serving as the Welsh Conservative Senedd Commissioner.

“When I was informed of the change, I was advised that all members of the Welsh Parliament from North Wales would be consulted.

“I am disappointed that all members from North Wales have not been consulted. I am participating in a meeting about this on Tuesday (November 29).