DECISIONS ON SCHOOL CLOSURES DEFERRED

Decisions on the futures of five Carmarthenshire primary schools have been deferred to allow councillors more time to consult with communities, consider more detailed reports and visit the schools.

Members of Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board accepted the Education Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation that decisions to discontinue Llanedi, Bancffosfelen, Llanmiloe, Tremoilet and Laugharne primary schools be held until the end of June. They also accepted a recommendation to visit all schools.

Parents and members of the community representing some of the schools were present at County Hall on Monday to hear the Executive Board’s decision.

Members were due to consider two reports that set out the current position at the schools where pupil numbers are in decline.

Numbers at Llanedi have gone down from 33 in 2010 to 18, creating surplus places of 51 per cent. The proposal is to discontinue the school, transfer pupils to Hendy Primary School, and redesignate the catchment of Llanedi to be included in the catchment of Hendy.

At Bancffosfelen, pupil numbers have dropped from 48 in 2011 to 35 at present, creating surplus places of 64 per cent. The proposal is to discontinue the school and transfer pupils to Pontyberem Primary School and redesignate the catchment so that it is included in the catchment of Pontyberem.

To the west of the county, the proposal is to discontinue Llanmiloe CP, Tremoilet VC and Laugharne VC primary schools, which have also seen a decline in pupil numbers, and create a new area school on the site of the current Laugharne school.

Decisions are now expected to be made at the end of June.