£13 million 'super-school' agreed for Welshpool
A £13 million "super-school" will be built in Welshpool after councillors agreed to the plan.
The new Welsh language school will replace primary schools in the town. An English-speaking primary school will also open.
Powys County Council's cabinet unanimously decided to agree to the plans at a meeting yesterday.
Ardwyn Nursery and Infants School, Gungrog Nursery and Infants C in W Voluntary-Controlled School, Oldford Nursery and Infants School and Ysgol Maesydre will close this August.
From September, a new English-medium primary school will open initially on the current sites of Ysgol Maesydre, Gungrog and Oldford Schools.
In 2018 it will transfer to a new school building on land at Welshpool High School.
The council will also establish a new Welsh-medium community primary school that will operate initially from the current site of Ardwyn School, until it transfers in 2018/19 to a new school building that will be built on the current site of Ysgol Maesydre.
Yesterday's decision received one detailed objection from the Welshpool branch of the Labour Party. It voiced concern about combining children of a very young age into a school with older pupils and a lack of choice for parents who do not wish their children to have a faith education.
But Councillor David Jones said he hoped any potentially-dangerous crossings for children could be addressed and the overall benefits to the town far outweighed the objections raised.
