School improvements to be scrutinised

Plans to demolish the old Maesydre school and replace it with a new building for the renamed Ysgol Gymraeg y Trallwyn were shattered when the heritage body Cadw, granted it listed status following an 11th hour plea from an old pupils organisation.

It means the new classrooms will have to be incorporated into the existing, 19th century building at a cost of just over £3 million.

A further £750,000 will have to be spent putting a gas membrane and new top soil on the site of the Church in Wales primary after building rubble was found underground.

The original plans to replace the town's primary schools were put at a cost of £12.9 million, funded by Welsh government and Powys County Council.

Cabinet voted to move the Gymraeg y Trallwng project from band A to band B and approve the overspend - subject to the finances going to scrutiny on an urgent basis and returning to the council on July 10. It is also to look at applying for Cadw grants for the work.

Councillor Graham Breeze, who called for the overspend to be scrutinised, said he was horrified by the amount of the overspend and said those behind the listed building request should take a long look at themselves.

"Why weren't the developers asked to look at the new scheme within budget," he said.

Councillor Myfanwy Alexander said if the decision was delayed chances of getting contractors on the site in the summer holidays would slip away.

"This figure has not been pulled out of the air," she said.

"Learners in Welshpool are in their new schools but in very difficult learning environments. They are in schools that are very difficult to teach in and they will have to remain in them longer if we delay this."

Ian Budd director of education, said the children and staff in Welshpool were in inappropriate environments and said the staff were working wonders.

"These improvements are all under the 21st century schools' programme. Nowhere else has committed to the scale of investment that Powys has done."