Demolition of former school to cost £2 million

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

Knocking down a secondary school and removing its asbestos is expected to cost £2 million and take a year.

Council chiefs in Swansea have approved a £2 million sum to demolish the former Daniel James Community School, Mynyddbach, with work anticipated to start in January 2026 and finish in December. Once that’s done a new Bishop Vaughan Catholic School is earmarked for the site.

Cabinet members approved a report setting out the £2 million demolition project which said six contractors had submitted tender bids.

It added that two community organisations which used the former school’s playing fields and parts of the site had been consulted and would continue to be so.

Asbestos risk

The report also said there was a risk of additional asbestos being identified despite an “early invasive survey” having taken place. Should this occur, it said, the budget would need amending.

Asked about this by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, and whether any of the non-hazardous material would be used to prepare the ground for the new-build Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, a council spokesman said: “A demolition asbestos survey has been carried out at the site by qualified experts. All materials containing asbestos have been identified as reasonably as possible.

“A licensed contractor will safely remove the asbestos, and a specialist company will oversee the entire process, including air quality checks.”

He added that more than 80% of the remaining concrete, bricks and timber would be crushed on site and reused to fill gaps or level the ground for future development. Leftover materials would be taken away and recycled.

“This will also reduce heavy vehicle traffic around the site, avoiding disruption to nearby roads,” added the spokesman.

Welsh Government support

The Welsh Government is to contribute £1.7 million to the £2 million project with the council funding the remainder.

Council leader Rob Stewart thanked the Welsh Government for its contribution and said preparing the site for a new school would make good on a Swansea Labour pledge.

He said Labour, when in opposition more than a decade ago, had opposed the closure of Daniel James Community School and campaigned to keep it open.

“The community were left without a school in their area and many of the pupils were forced to travel outside of their core locality to get their education,” he said. “We don’t believe that’s right, and that’s why we are taking all steps necessary to restore secondary education in that area.”

Daniel James Community School was placed in “special measures” by the Welsh Government in 2010 following a critical inspection and closed two years later.

The plan is for Bishop Vaughan Catholic School to relocate from its current home just under a mile away in Clase to the flattened Daniel James site.

Subject to planning and funding there’ll be capacity for 1,400 pupils, vocational skills will be part of the offer, and the aim is for it to open in 2029-30 with pupils and staff remaining at the current Clase site until then.