Bid for Welsh Government funding to build a new English language primary school in Brecon ‘welcomed’

Elgan Hearn Local Democracy Reporter

A bid for Welsh Government funding to build a “long overdue” new English medium primary school worth £19.3 million in Brecon, has been welcomed.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills scrutiny committee on Wednesday, February 12 councillors and lay independent members looked at a report outlining the bid for a new school building for Ysgol Golwg Pen Y Fan.

The primary school opened last September and operates across three sites.

This follows the merger of Mount Street Infants School, Mount Street Junior Schools in Brecon and Cradoc primary school.

The new 360 place school would be built on the former Brecon High School site.

Bid

A Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for the funding bid has been prepared by education officers.

If successful the Welsh Government would provide 65 per cent of the funding which is £12.540 million, while the council will need to find the rest which equates to £6.752 million and would be found by borrowing.

An “optimism bias” of £3.308 million has been built into the proposal.

Head of transforming education Marianne Evans explained that this optimism bias “should go down” as the project goes through the different design and business case stages and the council looks to get: “best value for money.”

This means that the project cost could actually cost £15.984 million.

Ms Evans said: “The school are operating across three sites, and it is a challenging situation for them to be in.

“Hopefully this starts the project on its journey.”

“Welcome”

Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies who was part of the previous Independent/Conservative administration who agreed the merger proposal in 2021.

Cllr Davies said: “I really do welcome this investment in Brecon and the south of the county.”

He added that the school buildings had: “seen better days.”

Cllr Davies said: “I also welcome the fact that pupils will have early years  and wrap around provision with multi agency facilities and it’s great to see that.”

Cllr Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) used to work for the education department.

Cllr Jones said: “This is long overdue.

“I know these schools very well from my previous role with the authority, the staff especially at Cradoc and Mount Street Infants have done a remarkable job dealing with the condition of the buildings.

“Those are well past their sell by date in a lot of ways.”

Director of education Richard Jones that having everyone on once site would see improvements in “teaching learning and wellbeing ” for both staff and pupils at the school.

Recommendations from the committee will be added to the report which is expected to be discussed by the Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet at a meeting on Tuesday, February 18.

If everything goes as planned the new school could be open by September 2027.