THE “SAD CLOSURE” of Abersoch’s village school which ended its 100 years of use when just seven pupils remained enrolled has been turned into “a positive” for the Llŷn community.
Ysgol Abersoch will be leased as a community hub in bid to provide social, economic and environmental benefits for years to come.
Cyngor Gwynedd unanimously agreed to let the school for 99 years at a “less than market rent” to community group Menter Rabar.
Its cabinet formally agreed the decision at a meeting on Tuesday, March 11.
Despite local protests, a decision to close the building was made in December 2021, with its last pupils transferring to Ysgol Sarn Bach.
Menter Rabar, a not-for-profit group, had submitted an application to undertake a long-term lease for “a nominal sum” to establish a multi-purpose community centre.
The enterprise had been successful in securing grant funding to carry out the first phase of refurbishment work and was “keen to move forward” with the scheme, Cllr Paul Rowlinson told the meeting.
“Good things have come out of a sad situation,” he said.
“When a school closes, we have a policy of offering the sites to the local community for a nominal price as a resource to assist and regenerate the community,” he said.
“Menter Rabar have raised a great deal of money, a significant grants, so the intention is to establish a multi-purpose hub, a cafe, exhibition area for heritage, a multi-use room for courses and sessions, business units and a community garden.”
He said the group had collected £100,000 through various funds and secured around £300,000 from the Welsh Government.
Quoting observations by Cllr John Brynmor Hughes from a report, he stated: “The enterprise is great in terms of what we want to do in Abersoch.
“A strong team has come together to establish it, and they have done very well up to now to bring the village together through fund-raising activities and by drawing attention to the enterprise.”
Cllr Rowlinson said council officers had also responded by saying the team “worked professionally” and would “run it well,” so the proposal was “to give Menter Rabar the lease of the building for 99 years”.
The longer lease would help the group secure grants and a clause would allow the group to end the lease after ten years if not successful, he said.
If that happened, the building would then come back to the council, but would be “significantly improved,” he said.
“We give up the opportunity to sell it on the open market, we have to consider the money – £150,000 – against the community advantages.”
Cllr Rowlands proposed that the council approved “to use its powers under General Disposal Consent (Wales) 2003 to lease Ysgol Abersoch site directly to Menter Rabar for less than market rent, to realise social, economic and environmental benefits”.
It was seconded by Cllr Medwyn Hughes, who hailed it as “positive news,” providing benefits for the community by protecting the local heritage and Welsh language and attracting income from outside the area, he said.
