CALLS to defer a decision on the future of a popular skills centre will be made during a crunch Redditch Council meeting on Monday.

The council's Labour group will be asking that a proposal to close the centre is either thrown out or deferred until a later date.

Plans to close the Redi Centre come just over 12 months since it was last threatened with closure and despite the number of students taking up courses soaring.

Labour group leader Councillor David Cartwright said: "I had a meeting with users of the Redi Centre on Monday and they gave me a very good document which sets out the case as to why the centre should not close.

"While I can understand some of the issues the council is trying to address, I am sceptical about the college and its commitment to the Redi as it is now.

"There are a number of questions we have to ask and feel at the very least we need more time to discuss it. The report has only been out for a couple of weeks."

Mr Cartwright said he did not feel anyone was ready to vote on a proposal to close the centre.

"We will be asking for the proposal to be rejected or deferred until we have had a chance to look at everything properly. We certainly will not be voting to close it, we would want to see it kept," he added.