No objections received for new Heronsbridge School plans

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet has approved plans for a 300-place replacement Heronsbridge School.

The new replacement school, which will be designed to cater for the specialist needs of Heronsbridge pupils and will be located at Island Farm, just one mile away from the existing school site on Ewenny Road.

Cabinet approval was received following the outcome of a statutory consultation process, which received no objections to the proposal.

Given the specialist nature of the school, it was agreed that the opening date should be moved back a few months to the spring term 2026. This will allow for meaningful consultation with stakeholders to take place in order to inform the design of the replacement school.

Designed to meet the needs of its learners, a new enlarged Heronsbridge School presents a number of significant benefits, which include an increased number of places for pupils with additional learning needs.

It also includes a reduction in the number of learners sent out-of-county, which the council says is both expensive and imposes often significant travel times on pupils.

Pupils will have an input into the design of the new school, which will deliver on Net Zero Carbon, and will have accommodation which is suitable and sufficient to meet their needs.

The future use of the existing Heronsbridge School site would be subject to an options appraisal and a future Cabinet decision. The main school building has also recently been listed by Cadw.

Cllr Jon-Paul Blundell, Bridgend Council’s Cabinet Member for Education said: “The relocation and rebuild of Heronsbridge School will allow for even more pupils to receive the vital specialist support that they both need and deserve.

“The school modernisation project is a fantastic opportunity to provide the very best modern facilities for young people in the county borough and I’m sure the plans will provide significant benefits for many years to come.”

(Lead image: Geograph)