Council to consult on plans for new schools

Plans to deliver the first new schools to be built in the Cornelly area in more than 40 years have moved a step closer.

Following consultation with pupils, teachers, staff and governors, the Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has agreed to publish a public notice outlining its proposals for creating a new English-medium school, transforming and enlarging Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol Y Ferch O’r Sgêr, and providing new community facilities for the Integrated Children’s Centre.

This would be achieved by replacing the ageing Corneli and Afon Y Felin primary schools with an all-new, state of the art, English-medium school featuring a two-form entry system, a 60-place nursery and a 15-place resource centre for pupils with additional learning needs.

Under the proposals, the new school would be established at Plas Morlais by entering into an agreement with the current site owner, Valleys to Coast Housing, and exchanging the location for land vacated at Afon Y Felin.

Ysgol Y Ferch O’r Sgêr would gain all-new buildings and expand onto the current site occupied by Corneli Primary School to become a two-form entry school with a 60-place Welsh-medium nursery.

The Integrated Children’s Centre, which is currently located on the Corneli Primary School site, would remain in place, and new community amenities, such as outdoor sports facilities, would become available.

While still in the early stages, these ambitious plans seek to provide children living in the west of Bridgend County Borough with the best modern educational facilities possible. They represent a multi-million pound investment into Welsh and English-medium education within the Cornelly area, and are intended to deliver the kind of modern learning environments that the local community deserves.

The aim here is to provide the community with fully modern schools which are fit for the 21st century, built to full Welsh Government specifications and designed to benefit pupils attending both Welsh and English-medium schools. The next stage of this process will see the publication of a statutory public notice outlining the proposals. This will be available for a period of 28 days, and will give people an opportunity to comment upon the proposals and if necessary submit written objections.

If no objections are received, the proposal will move to the next stage. In the event we do receive objections, these will be reported back to Cabinet for consideration along with options for accepting, rejecting or modifying the proposal.

Lindsay Harvey, Director of Education and Family Support

The local authority is also exploring options for delivering the Cabinet’s commitment to develop Welsh-medium primary provision in Porthcawl.