£55 million super-school funded by taxpayers will be owned by church
Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter
A proposed £55 million catholic super-school funded largely by Welsh taxpayers will be wholly owned by the Diocese of Wrexham once completed.
Plans to create an all-through catholic super-school in Flint for pupils aged 3-18 are currently preparing to go into consultation amid opposition from parents’ groups.
The proposal requires the closure of four schools in Flintshire, the catholic primary schools of St David’s in Mold, St Anthony’s in Saltney and St Mary’s in Flint plus the closure of St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School.
According to the plans 85% of the cost of the new super-school – £46.75 million – would come from the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with the remaining 15% coming from the Diocese of Wrexham.
Parents groups at two of the four schools – St Anthony’s and St David’s – actively oppose the plans. St David’s School Action Group held a protest march last weekend to campaign against the proposals.
But at this week’s Education, Youth & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee, the leader of Flintshire’s Liberal Democrat group Cllr Andrew Parkhurst asked who would own the super-school building once completed.
“I understand school buildings are owned by the Diocese,” he said. “If the new building goes ahead with Welsh Government money then who owns the building?
“Is it the council or is it the church? Are we in effect giving away millions to the church?”
“It’s not always clear-cut but as a rule of thumb the council usually owns the playing fields while the Diocese owns buildings and the land beneath them,” said Jennie Williams, Senior Manager, School Planning and
Provision for Flintshire County Council.
“Once we’ve built the school we will have to hand back the building. That’s how the legal framework of voluntary aided schools runs.”
Ownership
Now Welsh Government has confirmed that once taxpayers have funded the school, it would transfer into the ownership of the Diocese.
“In the case of voluntary aided schools, the school buildings and land are usually owned by trustees typically the Diocesan,” said a Senedd spokesperson.
“The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme supports investment in education infrastructure across Voluntary Aided, Voluntary Controlled and Local Authority maintained schools. In all cases, the asset remains in the ownership of delivery partners following the investment.”
It has also been confirmed that the consultation, which was supposed to open this month, will now be opened no later than Tuesday, June 3.
A council spokesperson said: “The council can confirm that the consultation is scheduled to go live on or before June 3, 2025 and finish before the start of the school summer holidays, subject to the finalisation of the necessary documentation and approvals.”
After Flintshire County Council twice postponed the opening of the consultation, parents campaigning to save their schools fear further delaying the timeline restricts their opportunity to make their case.
Uncertainty
Martina Crocombe is one of the leading advocates to save St Anthony’s in Saltney. She has two children art the school, which is scheduled to be the first to close under the plan in September 2026.
“These delays have caused yet more uncertainty and show that once again, Flintshire County Council and Wrexham Diocese can’t seem to get it right,” she said.
“There have now been three delays and the reasons for them have not been made clear to the public. These repeated delays raise serious questions about the efficiency and reliability of both the council and the diocese.
“The proposed super school idea, which the majority oppose, needs to be scrapped. The parents and community of Saltney will continue to fight this ridiculous idea.”
Sarah Cunningham, from the St David’s School Action Group, said making people wait was making parents anxious.
“Waiting longer for the consultation to open causes great concern as we believe it’s a deliberate attempt to let all the noise pass and it brings the dates exceedingly close to the summer holidays,” she said.
“For St Anthony’s this could most certainly be seen as tactical as they will have even less time to prepare for the possible closure of the school.”
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Do What !
In the name of the Late Father O’Reilly, No Way…!
Does this mean that the schools that will be closed will be retained by the Catholic church for them to do with as they wish?
Probably because likely if they are old established the church may own the land and the buildings. Some may be from gifts of land which is covenanted. This also happens with hospitals where land was given or sold under conditions where if the intended health or education use ceases the land reverts to the descendant of the original owner. There was a case of this for a school in Essex which featured on Heir Hunters. The reversion of the Westminster Hospital to the Duke for the original purchase price is another famous example.
Such large sums of state money should fund state schools open to all. The state in Wales where religion is disestablished should not fund any religious education facilities. In fact moves should be made for the state to withdraw from all religious linked education which should be funded privately. While they are at it home education should also be stopped and all children obliged to attend school.
Is it not strange that Wales still has faith schools in an age in which we hear so much talk about “inclusiveness” and over a century (1920) since religion was disestablished by the Welsh Church Act 1914?
Faith schools carrying a “Christian” label will often take pupils from any part of the community. It’s just another label to distinguish them in people’s minds. Personally I find it quite objectionable that any faith is allowed to set up schools in this way
Yeah, having the Catholic Church run schools worked so well for Ireland didn’t it?
Will they be taking over the Laundromat too?
So essentially they will own a school for £8.25 million?
And who signed off on this from planning permission to construction, was there a pressure group involved, and can we send an invoice for work completed to the Vatican?
Is it not time for those who think it is a scandal to write to the Education Minister in the Senedd? A nationwide campaign against such a profligate waste of scarce resources might actually work. After all, Cardiff Labour need the off ‘win’ to set off all the bad stuff coming out of London Labour.
A’r dysgu oll yn Saesneg mae’n siŵr
Why should the taxpayer fund a church school? Who will make this decision? It will be an utter disgrace if this goes ahead. And why should a church EVER want to own or run a school? I wonder!?
There should be no faith schools!