Call to pause school closures defeated on chairman's casting vote

At Powys County Council’s meeting on Thursday, Liberal Democrat leader Councillor James Gibson-Watt put forward a motion for a one-year delay to the implementation of all current closure proposals that have been approved by cabinet over the past 18 months.

The thrust of the motion was that the pandemic has seen greater collaboration between schools and clusters.

It was claimed that many of the assumptions the transformation strategy is based on were from the situation before Covid-19, and that since then the situation has changed and needs to be re-evaluated.

Councillor Gibson-Watt said that a report should be published this year which would then inform the transformation process.

Education portfolio holder Conservative Councillor Phyl Davies said: “Am I surprised? No. Am I disappointed? Yes.

“We’ve just received an Estyn inspection report that stated the strong progress being made against all recommendations.

“The words in that report: an ambitious policy of education transformation, what we are witnessing is political posturing rather than the interest of those we are here to educate.”

Councillor Davies added that Powys education officers had pointed out that small schools would struggle to deliver the new curriculum and “they know better than us”.

Councillor Iain McIntosh who resigned from the cabinet in protest at the decision to close Cradoc primary school last December “took issue” with Councillor Davies’s comments on delivering the curriculum

Councillor McIntosh said: “We need to establish 100 per cent whether they can or not, as it’s massively important.

“The Welsh Government tell me that the curriculum was delivered with small schools for small schools, you can’t have it both ways.”

Finance portfolio holder Councillor Aled Davies said: “Estyn have given the transformation project a strong endorsement, it does not need another delay to kick the potential investment into the long grass.

“It’s appalling to see this.”

Councillor John Morris said: “We are putting a motion forward to represent our residents who are extremely concerned at the way this cabinet is picking off school by school.

“We’ve had run ins with Phyl, it seems it’s either his way or no way.

“We have experts in Powys, and we have them in the Welsh Government.

“The minister (Jeremy Miles) says I confirm the curriculum is appropriate for all schools and settings including small rural schools.

“Next week you are going to close two rural schools that are full.

“Yet in the same meeting you are going to keep open three schools that are half full with 20 pupils in them – all we’re asking for is some sense and balance.”

Councillor Hywel Lewis said: “Could each cabinet members confirm that if this motion is passed they would accept it and take the necessary decisions before purdah to make sure the will of council is followed.”

Head of legal and democratic services, Clive Pinney explained that the cabinet would only need to “consider “the motion and would not be “bound” to do more on it.

In his summing up Councillor Gibson Watt said that he believed Estyn’s comments on transformation were “neutral” rather than an endorsement.

Twenty four councillors voted for and 24 against the motion, with one abstention.

This left council chairman, Councillor Gwynfor Thomas to cast his vote against the motion.