Swansea Valley ‘super school’ plan rejected

The decision (subject to a three-day call-in period) was taken at a special meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Wednesday, April 19th  2023. This followed an earlier discussion of the plans by the council’s Cabinet and Education, Skills and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

It was in October 2021 that Neath Port Talbot Council’s previous Cabinet gave the go ahead for a new 3-11 age school plus a specialist learning centre and public swimming pool at Ynysderw, Pontardawe, to replace primary schools at Alltwen, Llangiwg and Godre’rgraig.

However, following the May 2022 local elections, the council’s new Rainbow Coalition administration decided to review the new school proposal, this being followed by a successful legal challenge to the plans by parent group RhAG in relation to a Welsh Language Impact Assessment.

As a result, a fresh round of stakeholder consultation took place between December 5th, 2022 and February 7th, 2023. It included a public meeting in Pontardawe and online, and meetings with various stakeholders including school governors, staff and parents.

The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Steve Hunt, said: “We promised we would review this proposal and after listening to comprehensive advice from education officials and receiving the results of extensive consultation including face to face meetings from our residents, we have decided on balance not to progress the proposal.

“Our immediate focus will be on maintaining educational standards at the schools in Llangiwg, Alltwen and of course Godre’rgraig, where pupils are in temporary accommodation.”

Cllr Hunt said that the longer term consequences of the decision would need to be given detailed consideration with further comment unlikely to be announced before Autumn.

The Deputy Leader of the council, Cllr Alun Llewelyn, said: “This has been a long and detailed process and it is a significant decision for the Swansea Valley”

Local Senedd member, Sioned Williams MS who has been campaigning for the planned ‘super school’ to be dropped has welcomed the decision.

Ms Williams said; “I am pleased to hear that councillors voted against the proposals to create a huge new super primary school in Pontardawe. This is a vote of confidence in the well-performing and viable schools, which would have been closed if these proposals had gone ahead.”

“This proposal was no different from the one that was rejected by the vast majority of those who responded to last consultation, and the second consultation showed clearly that the opinions of most parents, residents and local representatives had not changed.”

“Labour were rejected at the ballot box in last year’s local elections in part because they ignored the needs of the communities they represented, preferring to do things to communities rather than with them. Consultation with communities on any initiative must be meaningful if we want people to have faith in their local democracy. The Rainbow Coalition has demonstrated principle and strength in arriving at this decision, showing residents that their views can and will be taken into account when decisions are made.”

“I urge the administration and officers to now work to develop proposals for a new build school for Godre’r Graig and any necessary improvements to Alltwen and Llangiwg schools and call on Welsh Government to support those new plans.”

(Lead image: Google Maps)