Shaun Greaney, Labour county and town councillor for Lliedi, said the long-promised replacement school may be jeopardised if Reform UK forms the next Welsh Government, claiming the party could withdraw the current 75% capital funding grant provided by Welsh Government for the project.
He also criticised Plaid Cymru-run Carmarthenshire County Council for what he described as “eight years of delay” and a lack of urgency in finalising plans for a new school building.
“Reform have no policies for Wales, and no answers,” said Cllr Greaney. “They couldn’t organise a p*** up in a brewery, let alone run a nation. They have some very right-wing candidates and we know the right wing are no friends of children with special needs.”
The councillor described the prospect of a Reform-led Welsh Government as “frightening” for families with children at Ysgol Heol Goffa, which currently operates over capacity and has been the subject of repeated calls for redevelopment.
Plans for a new school were first announced in 2017, with the council identifying the former Draka copperworks site near Ysgol Pen Rhos as the preferred location. However, the project was shelved in 2023 due to rising costs, prompting widespread criticism and a petition signed by more than 9,000 people.
Following public pressure, the council commissioned an independent review led by former ALN head David Davies, which confirmed the need for specialist provision for up to 250 children in the Llanelli area. The review outlined six options, with two now under active consideration: a 150-pupil school with satellite centres, or a 250-pupil “super” school incorporating provision for autistic spectrum conditions.
Despite this, campaigners say progress remains slow. Cllr Greaney urged the council to make a firm decision on capacity and funding before next May’s Senedd elections, warning that any further delay could risk losing access to the Welsh Government’s capital funding pot.
“That makes a new school the number one priority for the county council in the opinion of the Labour Party locally,” he said. “But the Plaid administration in Carmarthen are still dragging their heels.”
He also criticised the council’s refusal to meet with the Ysgol Heol Goffa Action Group, which previously submitted a petition with over 9,000 signatures calling for a new school. The group has repeatedly requested meetings with council leader Darren Price and cabinet member for education Cllr Glynog Davies, but say they have yet to receive a response.
“They ditched the original plan for a 125-place school, and only reconsidered after public pressure,” said Cllr Greaney. “The current school is substandard and past its sell-by date. That is fact, no matter how they try to spin the story.”
Campaigners have also raised concerns about the council’s decision to commission an independent review, arguing it was a tactic to delay progress. The review’s findings were published in February, but no timeline has been set for a final decision.
“We all knew Llanelli was crying out for a new special school,” said Cllr Greaney. “Now here we are, eight years down the line, and despite the political grandstanding by the party in power in Carmarthenshire – who have spent tens of millions on new schools in their own backyards – Ysgol Heol Goffa’s children, parents and staff are still waiting for action.”
The school currently accommodates 124 pupils — nearly 50 over its official capacity — with a further 18 on the waiting list. Campaigners say the building is no longer fit for purpose, citing inadequate toilet facilities, narrow doorways, and a leaking roof.
Becki Davies, a member of the action group, said: “Despite the county council having spent around £500,000 on the existing school building, there are still problems. It’s a dangerous situation.”
Hannah Coles, chair of the action group, added: “Our school’s families and children can’t afford to wait any longer.”
In response, Cllr Glynog Davies said: “It’s deeply disappointing that the Labour party is making the future of ALN pupils in the Llanelli area a political football. There’s no question at all that the proposed hugely improved provision for children with ALN and autistic spectrum conditions will be ‘kicked into the long grass.’”
The council has committed to further feasibility work on both options and says it will engage with Welsh Government to secure funding. However, campaigners remain sceptical.
Reform’s surge in Llanelli
Reform UK’s growing presence in Llanelli has added urgency to the debate. The party made headlines earlier this year when Michelle Beer won a council by-election in the Lliedi ward, becoming Reform’s first elected representative in Carmarthenshire. Her victory followed a strong showing by her husband, Gareth Beer, who came within 1,500 votes of unseating Labour MP Dame Nia Griffith in the 2024 general election — the closest Reform came to winning a parliamentary seat anywhere in Wales.
Polling published by Swansea Bay News in June projected Reform UK winning the Llanelli parliamentary seat at the next general election, and securing two Senedd seats under the new proportional voting system. The 2026 Senedd election will use a closed list system across 16 new constituencies, each electing six Members of the Senedd. This reform is expected to benefit smaller parties like Reform, which have concentrated regional support3.
The polling placed Reform neck-and-neck with Plaid Cymru and ahead of Labour in South West Wales, suggesting a major shift in the political landscape. Experts say the new system will almost certainly lead to coalition governments, and that Reform’s rise reflects broader disillusionment with traditional parties and public service delivery.
Swansea Bay News has reached out to Cllr Michelle Beer, Reform UK’s newly elected county councillor for Lliedi in Llanelli, for comment. She had not responded at the time of publication.
