New school campaigners angry at revelation that £74m has been spent elsewhere

Martin Shipton 

Campaigners who want a new special school in Llanelli have been angered after learning that their county council has spent £74m on other new schools since deciding to replace the out-of-date Ysgol Heol Goffa.

In 2017 Carmarthen County Council’s then Plaid Cymru leader Emlyn Dole made a pledge to build a state-of-the-art, flagship new school.

But last year the current council leader, Plaid’’s Darren Price, oversaw the ditching of the plans, claiming they were unaffordable.

Labour town councillor Andrew Bragoli has accused Cllr Price of shedding crocodile tears after becoming emotional during a public meeting to discuss the future of special needs education in the area.

‘Pleading poverty’

Cllr Bragoli said: “He had the effrontery to show his face in Llanelli after he and his Plaid Cymru colleagues on Carmarthenshire County Council had refused to change heart – and stood in front of parents while pleading poverty – despite having decided to spend £74m on other schools before ours.

“He has spearheaded a drive to build new schools in Plaid areas while neglecting Additional Learning Needs (ALN) children who have been treated as second class citizens by him and his political chums.

“All they do in County Hall is criticise Labour and feather their own nests. If they can break a promise to the most disabled and vulnerable children in our society then how can they be trusted at all?

“The only way they can regain any semblance of respect is to show some humanity, take the 75% grant still available from the Welsh Government and commission a new school as soon as is reasonably possible.”

The county council’s Labour opposition group leader,Cllr Deryk Cundy has vowed to make building a new school for Ysgol Heol Goffa his party’s number one priority should it take power at the next county council election in 2027.

He said: “Thousands are demanding that the children are not left at the bottom of the pile. There is even a concern that the school could be closed, with the loss of jobs that would entail.

“The whole school is on a knife-edge and has been awaiting a verdict for months. It is time for Plaid to make a U-turn and keep Emlyn Dole’s new school promise.”

The county council’s spending on new schools over the last seven years was revealed in a Freedom of Information request Cllr Cundy submitted following talks with Labour town councillor Shaun Greaney, in whose ward Ysgol Heol Goffa is located.

Ysgol Dewi Sant

Local councillors say a new site for Ysgol Dewi Sant, located in the same ward, is also overdue.

Town council leader David Darkin said: “The whole community is up in arms over this. Both those schools should be at the head of the queue for funding.

“There’s a famous quote: ‘the mortal test of a Government is how it treats its elderly, its children and its vulnerable’.

“This Plaid-led council is failing on two counts in this one decision. ‘If they have any moral fibre they will do the right thing and change their decision.”

David Davies, former head of additional learning needs and well-being for Vale of Glamorgan Council, has been commissioned by the council to lead an independent review of the current ALN provision in Llanelli.

His report is expected to be finalised by the end of January and Carmarthenshire County Council is not commenting until the review process is completed.