The current Welsh school closure programme started when the previous Labour and Liberal Democrat Welsh Government administration was in power, with Kirsty Williams MS as Education Minister. Since then, local authorities throughout Wales have taken decisions to close primary schools. The following three schools now face closure in Powys:
Cradoc CP School
Llanfihangel Rhydithon CP School
Llanbedr Church in Wales School
During the closure process, the proposals to close the above three schools went through the Learning and Skills Scrutiny committee, chaired by the Liberal Democrat Councillor Cllr Pete Roberts.
On 8th December the Learning and Skills scrutiny group met to consider the closure of Cradoc CP School; 2021-12-08 Scrutiny Recs to Cabinet - Cradoc and Mount Street v2.pdf (moderngov.co.uk). The chairman made no objections to the proposal and submitted observations with four additional recommendations.
On 22nd September the Learning and Skills scrutiny group met to consider the closure of Llanfihangel Rhydithon CP School; 2021-09-22 Scrutiny Recs to Cabinet - Llanfihangel Rhydithon.pdf (moderngov.co.uk). The chairman made no objections to the proposal and submitted observations to include the comment “The committee was satisfied that the majority of the arguments set out in the document were justified on all grounds.”
On 4th November the Learning and Skills scrutiny group met to consider the closure of Llanbedr Church in Wales School; 2021-11-04 Scrutiny Recs to Cabinet - Llanbedr.pdf (moderngov.co.uk). The chairman made no objections to the proposal and submitted observations to include the comment “There were no recommendations from scrutiny to the cabinet.”.
Despite the Learning and Skills Scrutiny committee chair’s apparent satisfaction with the three primary school closure proposals, Welsh Liberal Democrat candidates now forming the new Powys County Council administration campaigned, and committed, to reverse the closure of primary schools in Powys during the recent County Council election campaign:
On 29th January 2022, 13th February 2022 and 14th May 2022, several Liberal Democrat Council candidates, Councillors, and current Cabinet members joined Powys residents on protest walks and campaign days to fight against the closure of the three schools above. On 23rd January 2022 several Labour candidates, councillors and a current Cabinet member joined Powys residents on a protest walk to fight against the closure of Cradoc CP School, Mount Street Infants School, and Mount Street Primary School. During this year’s County Council election campaign period, Liberal Democrat and Labour candidates informed Powys residents, through campaign literature, social media, and doorstep conversations that if elected, and in control of this authority, they would stop the closure of the three schools above. Since taking control of this authority in May, the new administration has failed to carry out their commitment to Powys residents. Instead, the Leader has announced that Llanfihangel Rhydithon and Llanbedr school closures will be delayed for one calendar year, offering false hope to parents, teachers, and children, as council officers have confirmed that both schools will still close.
The Leader and new Cabinet members have now revealed plans to proceed with the proposal to close Cradoc CP School, going against commitments made to all residents, teachers, parents and children in Powys.
This council therefore calls upon the new Powys County Council administration to:
Keep Cradoc CP School open.
Not propose the closure of Cradoc CP School again during the next five-year term.
Proposed by: Cllr Iain McIntosh
Seconded by: Cllr Karl Lewis
Resource Requirement and Response from S.151 Officer
Cost implications of reversing closure decisions on Cradoc CP school
1. The table below sets out a five-year forecast of both the updated savings projections that are anticipated from the closure of Cradoc CP school and backlog maintenance works required to keep the school open.
2. The savings anticipated have a cumulative effect on the Council of an estimated £52,100 over the next five years. In addition, the backlog maintenance works is split into essential works needed within the next two years totalling £135,200, and other works required over the remaining three years of £594,500. Additionally, at Cradoc CP School there are currently 3 mobile classrooms that will be reaching the end of their useful life in the next 2-3 years. If Cradoc remained open, 3 new mobile classrooms would be required to enable the school to continue, at an estimated cost of between £180,000 and £400,000 each[1], equating to an additional cost pressure of at least £540,000 that would need to be resourced. A new condition survey of the entire school would be advisable prior to this, to ascertain the best way forward.
3. The table shows that the financial impact of the proposals in the Council motion to be over £1.3m if Cradoc CP school were not closed for at least 5 years. Funding would need to be found for the additional maintenance, whilst the reduction in savings means formula budgets would be realigned across more schools, this funding is currently planned for use in implementing the Strategy for Transforming Education 2020 – 2030 to improve the learner entitlement of all learners across Powys, create a more equitable education system and provide facilities that are fit for purpose for the benefit of all pupils, staff and the wider community.
|
Undelivered Savings £ * |
5 year cumulative undelivered Savings |
R & M needed in the immediate term |
Estimated Remaining Backlog Maintenance ** |
New mobiles required *** |
Total Cumulative cost implication |
||||
22-23 |
23-24 |
24-25 |
25-26 |
26-27 |
||||||
Cradoc CP School **** |
0 |
2,000 |
0 |
15,700 |
12,700 |
52,100 |
135,200 |
594,500 |
540,000 |
1,321,800 |
* Undelivered savings include the formula funding that would now be allocated to the schools, catering budget that would now be allocated to the catering service, reduced by impact of reduced capacity of new build primary school in Brecon.
** The backlog maintenance figures only include works to the school building and not to external area e.g., car parking, access roads, play areas, culverts, bridges, steps, retaining walls, stone, or masonry boundary walls, fencing and gates etc.
*** New mobiles – estimated at between £180k and £400k per classroom (total: £540,000 - £1,200,000), Would need to consider if an alternative to build extension cost effective.
4. The requirement for 3 mobile classrooms at Cradoc CP School accounts for 30% of the total school premises on this site, which suggests that the current school building cannot accommodate the needs of all pupils.
5. Should the Cradoc CP School closure decision be reversed, there is potential for a reduction in new build costs for a new school in Brecon, as a reduced capacity would be required. It should also be noted that the Cradoc CP school undelivered savings figures above have been reduced by approx. £36,370 per annum as it is assumed that the new build primary school in Brecon would be smaller, reducing the premises top up required for the new school by this amount. However, this would require a new proposal to be developed for the consideration of Cabinet and further consultation to be carried out, and funding would need to be identified for this.
6. The primary phase formula changes and school closures were expected to redistribute funding from small schools to larger primaries and to secondary phase schools.? This motion will limit the ability to move funding as originally planned, continuing the under-investment in our larger primaries and our secondary phase schools.
[1] Depending on specification – recent mobile classroom installations have tended towards the higher end of the range
Minutes:
County Councillor Gary Mitchell declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and left the meeting while it was being considered.
Council considered the following motion proposed by County Councillor Iain McIntosh and seconded by County Councillor Karl Lewis:
“The current Welsh school closure programme started when the previous Labour and Liberal Democrat Welsh Government administration was in power, with Kirsty Williams MS as Education Minister. Since then, local authorities throughout Wales have taken decisions to close primary schools. The following three schools now face closure in Powys:
Cradoc CP School
Llanfihangel Rhydithon CP School
Llanbedr Church in Wales School
During the closure process, the proposals to close the above three schools went through the Learning and Skills Scrutiny committee, chaired by the Liberal Democrat Councillor Cllr Pete Roberts.
On 8th December the Learning and Skills scrutiny group met to consider the closure of Cradoc CP School; 2021-12-08 Scrutiny Recs to Cabinet - Cradoc and Mount Street v2.pdf (moderngov.co.uk). The chairman made no objections to the proposal and submitted observations with four additional recommendations.
On 22nd September the Learning and Skills scrutiny group met to consider the closure of Llanfihangel Rhydithon CP School; 2021-09-22 Scrutiny Recs to Cabinet - Llanfihangel Rhydithon.pdf (moderngov.co.uk). The chairman made no objections to the proposal and submitted observations to include the comment “The committee was satisfied that the majority of the arguments set out in the document were justified on all grounds.”
On 4th November the Learning and Skills scrutiny group met to consider the closure of Llanbedr Church in Wales School; 2021-11-04 Scrutiny Recs to Cabinet - Llanbedr.pdf (moderngov.co.uk). The chairman made no objections to the proposal and submitted observations to include the comment “There were no recommendations from scrutiny to the cabinet.”.
Despite the Learning and Skills Scrutiny committee chair’s apparent satisfaction with the three primary school closure proposals, Welsh Liberal Democrat candidates now forming the new Powys County Council administration campaigned, and committed, to reverse the closure of primary schools in Powys during the recent County Council election campaign:
On 29th January 2022, 13th February 2022 and 14th May 2022, several Liberal Democrat Council candidates, Councillors, and current Cabinet members joined Powys residents on protest walks and campaign days to fight against the closure of the three schools above. On 23rd January 2022 several Labour candidates, councillors and a current Cabinet member joined Powys residents on a protest walk to fight against the closure of Cradoc CP School, Mount Street Infants School, and Mount Street Primary School. During this year’s County Council election campaign period, Liberal Democrat and Labour candidates informed Powys residents, through campaign literature, social media, and doorstep conversations that if elected, and in control of this authority, they would stop the closure of the three schools above. Since taking control of this authority in May, the new administration has failed to carry out their commitment to Powys residents. Instead, the Leader has announced that Llanfihangel Rhydithon and Llanbedr school closures will be delayed for one calendar year, offering false hope to parents, teachers, and children, as council officers have confirmed that both schools will still close.
The Leader and new Cabinet members have now revealed plans to proceed with the proposal to close Cradoc CP School, going against commitments made to all residents, teachers, parents and children in Powys.
This council therefore calls upon the new Powys County Council administration to:
Keep Cradoc CP School open.
Not propose the closure of Cradoc CP School again during the next five-year term.”
County Councillor McIntosh argued that instead of closing small rural schools, the Council should be holding Welsh Government to account for putting it in this position. He said that there was no evidence that larger schools were better for children’s education. He questioned the costings provided as Cradoc school would be there for another four years regardless of whether the motion was passed and money would need to be spent on relacing mobile classrooms.
County Councillor Pete Roberts challenged the attribution of the comments of the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee to him personally in the preamble to the motion, when as the Chair of that Committee, it was his role to report the comments of the committee. He contended that it was misleading not to include the full minute relating to Llanfihangel Rhydithon CP School in the preamble “The Committee was satisfied that the majority of the arguments set out in the document were justified on all grounds, with the exception of those in relation to federation and Welsh Language.” He argued that if the motion was passed, the school could not be federated or put into a cluster regardless of circumstances. He argued that it was essential to judge every proposal on its merits.
The motion was lost by 14 votes to 41 with 4 abstentions.
County Councillor Gary Mitchell returned to the meeting.