PLANS to relocate a Wrexham primary school to allow a large expansion look set to go ahead to meet a demand for spaces caused by new housing developments.
Wrexham Council recently held a consultation on proposals to increase capacity at St Mary’s School in Brymbo from 154 pupils to 210, along with 30 nursery places.
If approved, it would see the school move from its current location on Ael Y Bryn to a new building on the old Brymbo Steelworks site, with the potential for a further expansion to allow a total of 315 pupils if required.
The plans have been put forward to cope with the expected uplift in demand for school places caused by new housing developments in the village.
Hundreds of homes have already been built on the steelworks site by Brymbo Development Ltd, with more expected to follow.
The local authority said the majority of people consulted were in favour of plans for a new school, with the existing facilities described as “not fit for purpose”.
Cllr Phil Wynn, Wrexham’s lead member for education, said in a report: “The increase in pupil capacity is being proposed in light of potential housing developments in the Brymbo area.
“At this stage, the increase has been kept to a minimum to mitigate against any adverse impact on schools in the surrounding area and on Welsh medium schools.
“The increase in capacity is subject to obtaining planning permission on a new site at the former Brymbo Steelwork site.
“The new school building would be designed in a way that will allow future expansion, with minimum disruption, if the need to increase numbers to 315 is realised as a result of future housing developments.
“If the status-quo was to be maintained, it is likely that the school would not be able to accommodate the future predicted demand for school places in the Brymbo area.”
A total of 152 people responded to the council’s consultation, with 63 per cent of adults and 66 per cent of children reported to be in favour of the plans.
The main concerns raised were in relation to the impact on Welsh medium education and that the scheme could increase budget pressures on the school.
In response, Cllr Wynn said: “Consultation responses indicated that a higher proportion of respondents were in support of the proposal compared with those who did not support the proposal.
“If a decision is taken not to proceed with the current proposal it is likely that temporary accommodation may need to be provided on current sites which is at best a short-term solution.
“The local authority believes that despite concerns raised the proposal to increase the capacity at St. Mary’s Church in Wales School, Brymbo is the most effective use of resources available.”
He added that any further expansion would depend on the availability of money from Section 106 legal contributions paid by developers to improve infrastructure.
Members of the council’s executive board will meet on Tuesday (April 9, 2024) to discuss the proposals.
Councillors are being recommended to back the publishing of a statutory notice in relation to the plans.
If approved, it would see a phased increase in pupil numbers of 30 per year, starting at reception level from September 2025.
