Home » Llanelli’s Ysgol Heol Goffa replacement in limbo as council reviews specialist education provision
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Llanelli’s Ysgol Heol Goffa replacement in limbo as council reviews specialist education provision

Campaigners against the council's decision not to go ahead with a planned new Ysgol Heol Goffa on the steps of County Hall this year (Pic: Shaun Greaney)

A REVIEW of specialist school education in Llanelli, which followed a council decision not to proceed with a replacement Ysgol Heol Goffa, could be concluded by the end of the year.

Cllr Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education and Welsh language, said the independent review had started and that all interested parties would be able to have their say.

The decision not to go ahead with what Cllr Davies said was a “significantly higher” tender price for a new Heol Goffa earlier this year caused a backlash among parents, who accused the council of reneging on a commitment and of not prioritising the needs of children.

The review by a former Vale of Glamorgan Council head of additional learning needs (ALN) and well-being, David Davies, will set out fully costed options for future ALN provision in the Llanelli area.

Cllr Davies said he hoped the review would be finished and discussed by cabinet by the end of the year. “The children are important – of course they are – to all of us,” he said. “David Davies is doing this work now.”

The Plaid Cymru-Independent cabinet was discussing it at a meeting on September 30 in a response to a petition signed by more than 5,300 people.

The petition said: “Carmarthenshire Council have previously agreed, had planning permission and also already started the ground work to build a new school for Heol Goffa, but they have now put in a notice to say that they are no longer going ahead with the plans and pulled the plug on it all!

“The plans started back in 2018 to have a new school built as the current building is no longer suitable and can’t hold any more capacity.”

It added: “It’s appalling that they can even think it’s okay to make this decision but yet can provide other schools within the county new buildings and facilities!”

Council leader Darren Price said: “Clearly we understand the disappointment and frustration that has been felt by learners, parents and other stakeholders at Heol Goffa.”

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He said he wanted to make it clear that the council was committed to investing in alternative facilities, and added: “We absolutely accept that the current school is not fit for purpose.”

Referring to the wording of the petition, Cllr Price said the council had only “pulled the plug on a particular tender” for the proposed replacement school, which the Welsh Government would have contributed 75% of the cost towards, not “on it all”. He also said all councils were facing financial hardship, with some on the brink of bankruptcy, and that many schools in Carmarthenshire were facing a deficit position.

The proposed school was planned at the former Draka copperworks site, close to Ysgol Pen Rhos. It was to have 132 places for three to 20-year-olds and feature a landscaped central courtyard, learning garden, wetland planting area, main hall, hydrotherapy pool and multi-use games area. There would also have been a multi-purpose track for running, cycling, scooters and go-karting featuring winding sections and small ramps.

Full council discussed the petition at a meeting in July, where Labour councillor Tina Higgins said Heol Goffa had 124 pupils – 49 more than capacity – with a further 18 on the waiting list. The decision not to proceed appeared “immoral” to her, she said. “Has this administration tried to negotiate or re-tender before abandoning the project?” she asked. Cllr Price said the rise in costs from a £17 million figure made public in early 2023 had been “extraordinary” but that a new school was, in his view, potentially still an option depending on the outcome of the review. He also said upgrades at Heol Goffa would take place and that around £300,000 had been spent on roof work.

Responding to the cabinet discussion, Rebecca Davies, vice-chairwoman of Save Ysgol Heol Goffa action committee, said everybody she spoke to remained “baffled” by the council’s decision earlier in the year and that this gave them some cause of optimism. “Everyone’s quite hopeful with this independent review,” she said.

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