Work starts on new Welsh-medium school

Bruce Sinclair – Local Democracy Reporter

The first turf has been cut on the site of a new £16.3m 240-pupil Welsh-medium 3-11 school in mid Ceredigion, and building work is now underway.

In May, Ceredigion County Council’s Development Management Committee supported an application to build Aeron Valley Primary School on a greenfield site at Dyffryn Aeron, Felinfach, on the road from Aberaeron to Lampeter.

A ceremony was held to note the start of this work earlier this month, with councillors, officers, pupils from the local schools and contractors present.

First-class

Addressing those present, Council Leader Cllr Bryan Davies, said: “It is a pleasure to be on the site of the new school today to mark the start of the construction work by cutting the first turf.

“This is an exciting project for people in Dyffryn Aeron and a great opportunity to invest in education in a rural area. We look forward now to continuing to work with the contractors, Wynne Construction, to ensure first-class facilities to pupils in the area.”

“Privilege”

The first turf was cut by Ceredigion Cabinet Member for Schools, Lifelong Learning and Skills Cllr Wyn Thomas, who said: “It is a privilege to cut the first turf today and mark the start of the construction work for this new school.

“This new area school will enrich the learning and teaching experience in the local area, and I look forward to see the work come to fruition.”

The £16.3m school, being built by built by Wynne Construction, is 70 per cent funded through the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.

The new school will bring together three primary schools: Ciliau Parc Primary, Dihewyd Primary and Felinfach Primary, as well as the existing Ysgol Feithrin; and Language immersion Centre at Felinfach.

Agent TACP Architects Ltd, in its design and access statement ahead of the May planning meeting, said the development “will bring the standard of teaching accommodation available within the Aeron Valley up to 21st Century Schools standards.

“It will also deliver a net zero carbon in operation school, which contributes to Ceredigion Council’s efforts to deliver a zero-carbon authority by 2030”.