‘Listen to the people!’ NPT Council urged to reject plans to close Swansea Valley Schools

Ms Williams says she has consistently raised concerns about the potential impact these proposals would have on the educational attainment of local schoolchildren, on the local community and on the Welsh language, concerns shared by the vast majority of those that responded to the recent public consultation on the plans.

NPT Council’s Cabinet is set to meet today (19 April 2023) to decide whether or not to back the proposed changes, which were originally introduced by the previous Labour administration. When Labour lost control of Neath Port Talbot Council, the new ruling coalition made up of Independents and Plaid Cymru councillors, supported by Liberal Democrat and Green Party councillors, committed to reviewing the decision, resulting in a new consultation on the plans.

Sioned Williams said: “Over 70% of those who responded to the consultation said they disagreed with the proposals to open a huge new primary super school in Pontardawe and the closure of their schools. Time and time again, the strength of opposition to these plans has been made clear: from this consultation, from the previous consultation, as well as from the packed public meeting held in Pontardawe and from many passionate appeals made to me by constituents. The majority of parents who have responded to the consultation feel their children’s education would be best served in maintaining a link between the schools and their communities, rather than in a huge super primary school on a centralised site.”

“The Council’s own Draft Public Participation Strategy stresses the importance of local democracy and the need to listen and work with communities to face new challenges together, but this commitment risks being completely undermined by the Council should they decide to turn a deaf ear to the voice of local residents.

“I am also very concerned that these proposals would adversely affect children from economically disadvantaged families, particularly those who have to travel the furthest, and put nursery provision and extra-curricular opportunities out of the reach of families who do not have a car. It is disappointing that the Council’s report does not provide sufficient assurances that these concerns would be adequately dealt with. The loss of green spaces is another concern that the report does not seriously address.

Sioned Williams added: “Many of the Welsh Government’s policy aims on Clean Air, Active Travel and the recognition in the new Curriculum for Wales of the importance of maintaining a strong link between pupils and their local area will be undermined should the plans be passed.

“It has also been clearly demonstrated by the Welsh Government’s own report on the matter that these proposals would have a detrimental effect on the Welsh language in the Swansea Vallley, and Welsh medium education experts agree it risks limiting the growth of Welsh-medium education at Ysgol Gymraeg Pontardawe and Ysgol Gymraeg Trebannws which would in turn affect the numbers at Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur.

“NPT Council needs to do what’s right and listen to the voice of the people who will be affected by this decision for generations to come.”

On 20th October 2021, the previous Labour Cabinet of Neath Port Talbot Council approved a proposal to close Alltwen Primary, Godre’rgraig Primary and Llangiwg Primary and establish a new 3-11 super school in Pontardawe.

Despite an overwhelmingly negative response from the affected communities in a public consultation, the then Labour-run authority decided to press ahead with their plans. In the months that followed, the community continued with their protest and parents within the community were supported by RhAG, a Welsh-medium education group, to launch a successful judicial review on the grounds of that the Council did not conduct an assessment on the impact to Welsh-medium education in the area, which made the consultation unlawful.

Following this, members of the new coalition cabinet considered a new report brought forward by NPT’s Education Directorate, which again recommended the school closures and the superschool plans. A new public consultation on the proposals was held which saw a vast majority again oppose the scheme.