To inform Cabinet of the statutory objections received by the Authority during the objections period in respect of the proposal to make a regulated alteration to Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Cwm Garw by relocating the school to a new school building on the Betws Primary School site, to request a determination on the proposal and to seek Cabinet’s approval to publish the draft ‘Objections Report’ on BCBC’s website.    

            This report is to inform Cabinet of the statutory objections received by the Authority during the objections period in respect of the proposal to make a regulated alteration to Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Cwm Garw by relocating the school to a new school building on the Betws Primary School site, to request a determination on the proposal and to seek Cabinet’s approval to publish the draft ‘Objections Report’ (Appendix A) on BCBC’s website .

            In November 2013 the Council used statutory procedures to consult on relocating the Welsh medium primary provision of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg (YGG) Cwm Garw from Pontycymer to the existing Betws Primary School site. In May 2014 Cabinet determined to relocate the school to a new Welsh medium school on the site currently occupied by Betws Primary School. The proposal was to co-locate YGG Cwm Garw with the new English medium primary school serving the south of the Garw Valley. In February 2015 Cabinet further determined that the relocated YGG Cwm Garw should be a 1.5 form entry.

           Following the outcome of a challenge ,in respect of Betws and Tynyrheol Primary Schools the Council reconsidered  the scheme.  The proposal relating to YCG Cwm Garw has not been significantly affected and the authority proposes to make a regulated alteration to YGG Cwm Garw by relocating the school to a new building on the Betws Primary School site.  .

           On 3^rd March 2015, Cabinet approval was received for the Council to adopt revised principles as a framework for school organisation in Bridgend; five key principles were set out to inform the organisation and modernisation of our schools, as was outlined in paragraph 3.3 of the report.

            In respect of the current situation, and in order to progress the proposal, consultation was carried out between 25^th April and 1^st June 2015 in accordance with the statutory School Organisation Code.  A copy of the consultation document was also made available during this time on the Council’s website, and details regarding this was shown in paragraphs 4.2 – 4.4 of the report, while paragraph 4.5, gave details of one statutory objection to the proposal. Appendix 1 to the report contained an Objections report and gave details of the objections and the Authority’s consideration of these.

            The Deputy Leader expressed his disappointment with an objection to the proposal submitted by the governing body of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Cwm Garw school. He added that the school was in a poor state of condition, and as such, was not feasible to continue to accommodate pupils in its present state as a long term option at its current site. He further added that a Conditions survey carried out had revealed major defects in the current building structure. There was also no playing field on site nor other outdoor facilities in keeping with a modern school.

            It was intended for the school to be re-located with the new building providing state of the art facilities in-keeping with other schools in the County Borough that had been improved under the Council’s School Modernisation Programme.

            The current position of the school at the top of the Garw valley, also meant that there were too many school places remaining vacant at the school which was not anticipated to rise because of its present location.

            The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development added that a budget had set aside for the provision of the school on a new site further down the valley which would serve both the Garw Valley and Ogmore Valley, therefore resulting in a more central location in the catchment area for the new school.

            The Cabinet Member Resources advised that an inordinate amount of money would have to be committed to the present school over the next 2 years in order to bring it up to standard or the school would have to close, and the works required were too extensive hence the recommendation to close the school building and re-locate to a new build within the Garw Valley.

            RESOLVED:     That Cabinet:

(1)  Noted the statutory objections received and the consideration of those objections as detailed in the attached draft Objections report and associated Appendices.

(2)  Approved the draft Objections report for publication.

(3)  Determined to implement the proposal with effect from 1 September 2018