Members of planning committee urged to approve plans for new primary school

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Members of local planning committee are being advised to approve plans for a new £11 million primary school.

The application was submitted by Powys County Council to Bannau Brycheiniog NPA last November and includes demolishing the current school and building a new 120 pupil school in Sennybridge.

The proposal will be in front of the national park authority’s Planning committee on Tuesday, February 10.

The scheme will also provide an early year’s setting, sports, play facilities, associated works and provision for 40 car parking spaces which include four with Electric Vehicle charging points.

The development is smaller than the original proposal from 2022 which was for 150 pupils.

It is intended that the new main school building will be positioned more centrally within the site boundary, north of the existing school.

Planning case officer, Ffion Bevan said: “The existing school is a 1939 construction, of red brick, render and tiled roof.

“The building is not sustainable and is in desperate need of replacement.

“The proposed design of the new school is similar to a number of primary schools within the National Park, with flat roofs, timber cladding and facing brickwork.

“It will be a contrast to the current building on site; however, it is considered to be appropriate in scale, size, mass and external appearance.

“The school has been designed to be appropriate to its setting and is considered to comply with policies and would not have a detrimental impact on the quality, character or appearance of the National Park.”

Agreement 

Ms Bevan explained that Cadw – the Welsh Government’s historic environment service – were consulted on the application.

They agree with conclusions in Ms Bevan’s report that the proposed development will have no effect on the setting Twyn-y-Gaer and no more than a “minor adverse but not unacceptably damaging effect” upon the setting of Castell-Du.

Ms Bevan will recommend that members approve the application and delegate powers to the authority’s Director of Planning and Place Gareth Jones to grant permission subject to planning conditions.

The outline business for the proposal was approved by Powys council’s Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet in April 2025.

At that meeting senior councillors agreed a “revised outline business case” for Sennybridge which is part of the £300 million proposed investment in schools by Powys council over the next decade.

It is expected that the Welsh Government will fund 65 per cent of the project cost with Powys council expected to stump up 35 per cent, which would be around £4 million.