Gifting of the Gwynfryn Site

With the agreement of the Minister for Health and Social Services, I have today announced that we are prepared to gift the Gwynfryn site to the Brondyffryn Trust (which is a company limited by guarantee) in order that they might provide the necessary ancillary services to ensure that the redevelopment of Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn can operate fully as a regional centre of excellence for autism in North Wales.

The site, which is valued at £350,000, has been declared surplus to requirements by the Conwy and Denbighshire Health Trust as from 31 March 2003.

To ensure that the Assembly’s interests are safeguarded, in gifting the site to the Brondyffryn Trust I have required that it should revert to the Assembly’s ownership if:-

• i. the proposed developments do not take place within a stipulated timescale which will be agreed with the Brondyffryn Trust; or
  
• ii. should it ever cease to be used for the agreed purposes.

The provision of these facilities will enable the Assembly, Denbighshire County Council in conjunction with the other five North Wales LEAs, Conwy and Denbighshire Health Trust, Brondyffryn Trust and the wider voluntary sector to establish the first regional centre of excellence for autism in Wales.  Apart from its flagship nature, it will provide major educational and health gains and enable significant revenue cost savings to be achieved by LEAs in their SEN budgets.  

The transaction has been the subject of the satisfactory completion of the required procedures Standing Order 19.13 procedures.