Given that there have been five new primary schools built in Powys, when would it seem practical to assume that a new school could be built at Sennybridge, bearing in mind that I believe it is one of the oldest schools in Powys, originally designed as a high school built in 1939 and now is constantly in need of repairs etc. There is a serious sewage issue and other major problems with floor tiles rising throughout. Also, all pupils have to walk across the school yard to the school canteen, where there aren’t any toilet facilities.
The school at present has 130 children including a vibrant WELSH stream of 44. It is now struggling with very poor facilities, even so, at the recent URDD eisteddfod at Brecon, Sennybridge I believe had the most children taking part, with many going on to represent Breconshire.
At one time Sennybridge also had a very popular and well used swimming pool, but sadly that had to go due to lack of maintenance. With pupil numbers projected to rise even more with planning permission for 50 new houses granted, it’s a priority for Sennybridge to have a bigger school with better and more modern and up to date facilities.
Will the Portfolio holder commit to providing a new primary school at Sennybridge?
Minutes:
County Councillor R Harris declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and left the meeting while it was being discussed.
Given that there have been five new primary schools built in Powys, when would it seem practical to assume that a new school could be built at Sennybridge, bearing in mind that I believe it is one of the oldest schools in Powys, originally designed as a high school built in 1939 and now is constantly in need of repairs etc. There is a serious sewage issue and other major problems with floor tiles rising throughout. Also, all pupils have to walk across the school yard to the school canteen, where there aren’t any toilet facilities.
The school at present has 130 children including a vibrant WELSH stream of 44. It is now struggling with very poor facilities, even so, at the recent URDD eisteddfod at Brecon, Sennybridge I believe had the most children taking part, with many going on to represent Breconshire.
At one time Sennybridge also had a very popular and well used swimming pool, but sadly that had to go due to lack of maintenance. With pupil numbers projected to rise even more with planning permission for 50 new houses granted, it’s a priority for Sennybridge to have a bigger school with better and more modern and up to date facilities.
Will the Portfolio holder commit to providing a new primary school at Sennybridge?
Response:
One of the key priorities within the Council’s new School Organisation Policy is to improve the condition of the Powys schools’ estate, and the authority is delivering this through the 21st C Schools Programme and the Major Improvement Programme. The authority is, jointly with the Welsh Government, investing £80m to improve the schools infrastructure in Powys, as part of Band A of the 21st C Schools Programme, which runs from 2014 – 2019. We have also received approval of our Band B Strategic Outline Programme for capital investment from 2019 – 2024/5, which is based on the following WG priorities for 21st C Schools Programme Band B:
1. To provide efficient and effective educational infrastructure that will meet current and future demand for places by 2024.
· Backlog maintenance costs for the schools and colleges selected for Band B are reduced by at least 50% (based on the assumption that approximately 50% of the projects in the Programme will be replacements for existing assets).
· No category D buildings in the estate.
· c25% of Category C condition buildings are improved to Category A or B.
2. Optimise the use of infrastructure and resources, to deliver public services for our communities by 2024. This will include flexibility of our assets so that space and facilities available for our stakeholders are maximised.
We are currently finalising the funding priorities as part of Band B, looking at condition, suitability and sustainability of all the schools estate, and will confirm these once finalised.
In answer to Councillor Roderick’s supplementary question as to when the large amount of remedial work needed at the school would be undertaken, the Portfolio Holder for Learning and the Welsh Language advised that she expected the schools service to finalise its funding priorities after the summer.
County Councillor Rosemarie Harris returned to the meeting.
County Councillor Linda Corfield left the meeting at 16.13.
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