Decision details

The Director of Education and Inclusion Services presented the report, which sought formal approval to begin the relevant and required statutory school organisation consultation to establish a new Welsh medium primary school for 3 to 11 year olds as part of the Llanilid housing development and the proposed change of language medium of Dolau Primary School from dual language to English medium.

It was proposed that the new Welsh medium primary school would have a capacity for 480 statutory school (reception to year six) age pupils plus 60 for nursery age pupils, with Dolau Primary School becoming an English medium primary school at the same time, with an increased capacity of 488 plus 63 nursery places.

The Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and Welsh Language took the opportunity to thank the Director for the report. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that it was the duty of the Local Authority to assess areas of demand for school places and noted that there had been significant growth within the south of the County in recent decades with the Llanillid development requiring further school places.

The Cabinet Member was in support of consulting upon the proposals and commented that they would positively support the Council in meeting its ambitious WESP targets. In terms of funding, the Cabinet Member was pleased to note that the capital costs would be met by a mixture of funding from CIL payments and Welsh Government.

With the agreement of the Chair, Non-Committee Member, County Borough Councillor K Morgan addressed the Cabinet in respect of the item.

In response to the comments made by the Non-Committee Member in respect of the potential for Scrutiny involvement, the Service Director of Democratic Services and Communication advised that although the school reorganisation code prescribes limited opportunity for Members to influence the approach, there would be an opportunity for scrutiny involvement during the proposed consultation period. As such, the Cabinet agreed to include the Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee as part of the process.

The Cabinet RESOLVED:

1.    To note the content of the report;

2.    To give formal approval to begin the relevant and required statutory school organisation consultation to:

-       establish a new Welsh medium primary school for 3 to 11 year olds as part of the Llanilid housing development. It is proposed that the new Welsh medium primary school will have a capacity for 480 statutory school age pupils plus 60 for nursery age pupils; and

-       make a regulated alteration to change the language medium of Dolau Primary School from dual language to English medium. Providing a capacity for 488 statutory school age pupils plus 63 nursery places.

3.    To give formal approval to report back to Cabinet to consider the Consultation Report and determine whether to publish the Consultation Report and approve the publication of the proposal in the form of a Statutory Notice.

4.    To give delegated authority to the Director of Education and Inclusion Services to make any minor changes required to the draft Consultation Document (attached at Appendix A to the report) prior to its publication and the statutory school organisation consultation commencing.