Plans submitted for new all-through Welsh-medium school
Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to build a new all through 3-19 Welsh medium secondary school in south Wales have been submitted.
The application submitted by Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council involves the demolition of the existing school and associated buildings at Ysgol Llanhari and the construction of the new all through 3-19 Welsh medium school.
The plans for the school on Addison Avenue in Llanharry also include a 3G pitch, MUGAs (multi use games areas), floodlighting, car and coach parking, a drop-off and pick-up facility, cycle and bin stores, air source heat pumps, solar panels and associated works.
It would accommodate 910 pupils made up of 210 primary and 700 secondary places as well as 100 sixth form pupils.
The school would have a 30 place nursery, a dedicated early years childcare facility with capacity for at least 40 children, a fully operational kitchen adjacent to the main hall and dining area and a community classroom with segregated access.
There would be outdoor spaces to support the full range of curriculum activities, including a forest schools’ area, MUGAs (multi use games areas), an all weather pitch and hard and soft landscaping areas.
There would be on-site parking provision with sufficient capacity for school and childcare facility staff, with additional spaces for visitors and users of community facilities.
The school would also have an on-site drop off and pick up facility and coach park area to ease traffic management issues at the site.
As part of the redevelopment, a floodlit 3G sports pitch will be provided to complement rugby and primary provisions.
The design and access statement submitted with the application says: “Whilst there will need to be physical separation between the Primary and Secondary age pupils it is expected that design will enable shared facilities where appropriate to maximise the benefit of school management and premises management/maintenance.”
It states that the existing school is to remain operational throughout the construction phase and that community use of school sports facilities and any other after-hours activities must remain fully available throughout all the construction period.
The plan is for the whole facility to be finished and ready for use from May 2030.
The project would be delivered through the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.
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No evidence that run through schools are better than having separate sites. Stopping mixing will be difficult and I suspect there will be inappropriate influence in the primary section from the seniors.