The Corporate Director Education and Family Support presented a report which:

• informed Cabinet of the outcome of the published statutory notice in respect of the proposed enlargement of Coety Primary School; and

• sought approval to issue and publish a decision letter, as prescribed by the School Organisation Code, 2018 (the Code).

He explained that in order to address the demand for places at Coety Primary School, Officers undertook an options appraisal which identified the need to increase provision at the school. In June 2022 Council approval was received to include the scheme in the capital programme and to utilise BCBC capital resources to fund the extension. Further background was at section 2 and 3 of the report.

The Corporate Director Education and Family Support advised an objection report must now be published summarising the objections and the local authority’s response to those objections. The objection report is detailed at Appendix A.  Cabinet was now requested to consider the outcome of the process and determine whether to implement the proposal. Cabinet can either decide to accept, reject, or modify the proposal.

The Cabinet Member for Education stated that this was the next step in the road for an extension into Coety Primary School. He thanked everyone for providing their input during the consultation as the comments had been answered in the report.

The Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Wellbeing asked what action we were taking regards to the objections we had received on the Welsh medium provision in the Coety/Brackla area. A comprehensive response and further discussions can be found here.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet

• noted the outcome of the published statutory notice to make a regulated alteration to enlarge Coety Primary School to a 2.5 form-entry school;

• determined whether to implement the proposal;

• gave approval to publish the objection report; and

• gave approval to issue and publish a decision letter, as required by the Code.