A 400-STRONG petition has been sent to Northavon MP Steve Webb voicing concerns over the future of adult education courses at a Yate centre.

Strength of feeling about the Ridgewood Centre, which last year saw completion of a £1.6 million revamp and provides courses as varied as aromatherapy and holiday Portuguese, was provoked by alterations in the way adult education courses are provided.

Instead of South Gloucestershire Council providing courses, its main role will be to decide courses needed.

These will be commissioned by the West of England Learning and Skills Council.

Courses will be provided by further education colleges or other providers.

Marjorie Parsons, a tutor at Ridgewood, launched the petition calling for the venue to remain a centre of learning and for the same range of courses to continue.

Mrs Parsons, who teaches English for speakers of other languages, French and German at Ridgewood, said: "Tutors and learners are unsure about the future of the Ridgewood Centre, whether the courses that people want will remain and whether prices will be within people's reach."

Learners did not want to travel to Bristol or Bath for courses, she added. Mr Webb said: "It is clearly something people feel strongly about and rightly so."

He added: "The whole process has been very slow and is leaving people in the lurch until very late in the academic year."

Major changes are due to come into force in August/September.

The Learning and Skills Council has said funding for personal development learning will remain at the same level in 2005/6 as in 2004/5.

However the actual cost of courses for personal development would be determined by the organisation to win the contract to run courses, it was revealed.

Jane Samuel, spokeswoman for the West of England Learning and Skills Council, said: "We will work with local authorities to ensure there are centres to meet local needs."

South Gloucestershire Council spokeswoman Kirsty Steadman explained: "We will be planning all the courses and we can reassure people that we will have a large role in the continuation of adult community courses."

Courses are out to tender at present.

Find the West of England Community Learning Strategy at www.lsc.gov.uk/westofengland