Torfaen council approves school building investment plans

Some £140 million will be needed to invest in school buildings in a Gwent borough with refurbishments to two Welsh medium primaries the top priority.

Plans to upgrade Ysgol Bryn Onnen, in Varteg, Pontypool, and Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran were delayed during the most recent round of funding, when £30m was available, due to rising construction costs following the Covid pandemic.

Torfaen Borough Council has now approved investment priorities for the next nine year cycle of education investment in its draft plan for spending under the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning fund. As yet it is unclear how much funding will be available to the council.

It has also stated working with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese will be an “emphasis” of the funding from 2025 onwards. Concern has been raised around the condition of St Alban’s Roman Catholic Secondary in Pontypool and funding could be put towards a new school.

John Tushingham, the council’s head of resources and planning, told the full council’s December meeting: “We need to honour the commitment made to the two Welsh medium primaries and the refurbishments delayed, and then a number of schools most in need of refurbishment.”

Refurbishment at Bryn Onnen is estimated to cost £5.7m and £5.4m will be needed for the Cwmbran school while the council could make a contribution to a new school for St Alban’s if the Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Welsh Government reach an agreement on funding.

On funding for church school buildings the officer said: “The archdioceses will have proposals for their schools and we will work closely with them particularly at the moment the Roman Catholic Archdiocese who would like investment for St Alban’s.”

Talks with Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran and the Archdiocese will start in the new year, said Mr Tushingham.

The programme approved by the council, which is subject to available funding, will aim to complete the two delayed schemes with an initial focus on Ysgol Bryn Onnen using available funding.

It also intends providing either new buildings or refurbishments at seven sites including secondaries at West Monmouth in Pontypool costing £27m, Abersychan £17m and Cwmbran High totalling £38m.

Coed Eva Primary in Cwmbran could get a new block costing £17m, a refurbishment of Pontnewydd Primary could need £8.7m while refurbs at Llanyravon and Croesyceiliog primaries would both need at least £4m though dependent on money forthcoming from new housing developments in the council’s next development plan the latter could move to a new build site.

Mr Tushingham said the condition of some secondaries have “deteriorated more rapidly” than anticipated when original plans were put in place in 2010/11 and there will be an earlier emphasis on addressing them than the four primaries.

The plan will also consider further growth of Welsh medium provision and the “increasing need” for pupil referral unit places for primary children unable to attend mainstream schools which could require £12m.

Councillor Richard Clark, the Labour cabinet member responsible for education, said the plan “does show we have got a strategic approach not just willy-nilly and crisis to crisis.”

He said the council had been supported financially by the Welsh Government and said: “We’ve got a record of doing this.”

The programme is part funded by the Welsh Government and Cllr Clark said costs still go beyond £140m. Business plans for each school will still need to be drawn up.

Councillor Lucy Williams said she was “very pleased” to see pupil referral places for primary which she said is a “much observed need”.

In response to a question from Cllr Colette Thomas Mr Tushingham said the council has yet to receive information on available funding from the Welsh Government and council leader Anthony Hunt said it is something the council is “very much” progressing in talks with it.

He said: “The report outlines, a lot done but a lot to do. We’ve got to get the balance of ambition but also realism. We don’t want to sell a false dream but neither do we not want to have enough ambition.”

Since 2010 the council has invested £120m in school buildings. That has included a new secondary at Croesyceiliog, three new primaries, the closure of sixth forms and supporting the establishment of the Learning Zone in Cwmbran, and in the most recent round the replacement Maendy Primary and extension of the Crownbridge Special School.

Source: South Wales Argus