Llanelli Town Council’s new Independent-led administration has responded to news that plans for a new Ysgol Heol Goffa are moving forward — welcoming the commitment while saying serious concerns remain over the timescale.
Carmarthenshire Council’s education scrutiny committee unanimously recommended the £35 million project should proceed last week, with the new school now expected to open in September 2029 if all goes to plan.
Lliedi Ward Town Councillor Andrew Bragoli said the council recognised the importance of the project for children and families across the community.
“However, many parents and staff will understandably be disappointed and frustrated by the prospect of having to wait until at least 2029,” he said. “Families have already shown enormous patience over many years, and there is a clear need now for urgency and momentum behind the project.”
Fellow Lliedi Ward Town Councillor Sarah Evans said the school played an incredibly important role in the community, and that the children there deserved access to the very best learning environment and facilities.
“It is encouraging that plans are moving forward but concerns around delays and uncertainty have not gone away,” she said. “Parents, pupils and staff deserve greater clarity about the next steps and confidence that everything possible is being done to avoid further delays. This project is far too important for momentum to be lost.”
Leader of Llanelli Town Council, Councillor Sean Rees, said the people of Llanelli had consistently supported the campaign for a new school because everybody understood how important it was for current and future generations.
“A new school would help address increasing pressures on existing facilities while also creating a safe, modern and supportive learning environment for children with additional learning needs,” he said. “The community now wants to see a clear pathway towards construction and completion so that the promises made to pupils, parents and staff finally become reality.”
The new school will be built near Ysgol Pen Rhos — almost four miles from the existing Heol Goffa site — and will cater for 150 pupils aged three to 19 with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. That is 30 more places than the original 120-pupil scheme that Carmarthenshire Council scrapped in 2024 on cost grounds.
The £35 million cost would be split between the Welsh Government, contributing 75%, and Carmarthenshire Council paying the remaining 25%. Carmarthenshire cabinet member for education Cllr Glynog Davies has said he is confident the Welsh Government funding will be protected under the new Plaid Cymru administration.
The existing Heol Goffa site is currently oversubscribed — with 132 pupils despite a capacity of just 118. Inspection body Estyn has found that several parts of the school are no longer fit for purpose and that facilities are outdated.
The school has also faced a separate crisis over nursing provision, with a watchdog investigation demanded after concerns were raised that lives could be at risk. The Children’s Commissioner subsequently stepped in, demanding a meeting with the health board.
The new school would have access to the hydrotherapy pool at the nearby Pentre Awel health and leisure development — a significant benefit given the specialist needs of many of its pupils.
Following the scrutiny committee’s unanimous recommendation, a decision will be taken by Carmarthenshire cabinet. The subsequent process includes a public consultation, a statutory notice, an objection report and a final decision by full council — currently scheduled for March next year.
Carmarthenshire Council is also investing £4 million in a new autism unit at Ysgol Glan-y-Môr in Burry Port, due to open by September 2027.
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