The potential closure of four Ceredigion schools next year will now not take place after a consultation decision has proved unworkable, but the council is facing “a total lack of public trust”.

Ceredigion County Council Cabinet members, on September 3, during a heated and lengthy meeting where accusations of lies by officers in preparation of the reports were bandied, backed a recommendation to start statutory consultations for proposals to discontinue north county schools: Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa, Borth, Ysgol Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, Ysgol Llangwyryfon, near Aberystwyth, and Ponterwyd’s Ysgol Syr John Rhys.

During the lengthy – and at times heated – debate at Penmorfa, Aberaeron, allegations were mentioned that officers had included misleading information in their reports on the schools.

This was denied by Chief Executive Eifion Evans, who said: “If any officer makes lies there would be a process to follow; it’s the duty of the officers to be entirely factual, if there is proof of that I want to see it on my desk,” adding: “Nobody has brought any information to my attention.”

All four had similar recommendations, to approve a proposal to commence the statutory consultation process to cease to maintain the provision at [the relevant school] with effect from August 31 of next year, the final decision being made by full council.

Following the Cabinet decision, statutory consultation papers were prepared; Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa, Ysgol Llangwyryfon and Ysgol Syr John Rhys started in October with an end date of December 3, and Ysgol Llanfihangel y Creuddyn due to end on December 16.

However, a report before the December 3 meeting of Cabinet said the situation had now changed, with a formal consultation unworkable in the timescales given, along with a formal challenge to its decision in September.

“On November 19, the Authority received a formal challenge to the decision made [on September 3] to undertake a statutory consultation with a proposed closure date of August 31, 2025 which is deemed not feasible and therefore needs to re-consider the decision made on that date.”

It was recommended the consultations be changed to ‘informal’ ones with no closure dates; a further report coming before Cabinet at a later date before any decision.

Cllr Catrin M S Davies told members: “We are all aware this has been a difficult time for everyone; what will now happen next is taking the fire out of this debate and having some sort of reconciliation process.”

Cllr Elizabeth Evans said there was a need for reassurance that “the decisions made by Cabinet are safe and they stand up to scrutiny,” proposing a workshop for members one the issue.

Cllr Rhodri Evans felt the whole process had been “tainted,” with Cllr Gareth Lloyd called for the whole process to be “scrapped” instead looked at through the suggested workshop.

He told members: “The public are losing faith in the council, that is the feedback I’m having. Maybe it’s a totally unfair comment but that is what we’re being challenged with on a daily basis.”

He later warned: “Every decision we make from now on will be second-guessed, it erodes the faith of the public; whatever we say now people won’t believe us.”

Cllr Hugh Hughes went even further, saying there was “a total lack of public trust,” adding: “The public deserves better, the schools deserve better, and the people of Ceredigion deserve better,” with “a need for some sort of independent review to restore public confidence in this council.”

Cllr Wyn Evans said: “We must clear our names and must ensure that the public has confidence in the authority, honesty is very important to me and we have to show we are doing things the right way; I would welcome an independent investigation, we must be seen to be transparent; if anything comes out of this in the form of transparency then democracy has won.”

Chief Executive Eifion Evans said he would welcome a workshop “to provide assurances that all staff members have acted professionally,” reiterating his view there was no evidence of any misleading reports or any misconduct by them.

He later said: “Endless allegations are being made, my request, consistently, is to say: ‘Bring the evidence’. “

Members backed the recommendation for the consultation to become ‘informal’.