Council to spend £500,000 on urgent school repairs

An aerial shot of Ysgol Greenhill. You can see the school fields, car park and the building containing the classrooms withe trees and residential housing seen in some parts surrounding the school.Image source, Trident Civil Engineering
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A report said Ysgol Greenhill poses a "significant risk" unless the urgent repairs are made

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Urgent repairs to a secondary school will cost a council just over half a million pounds.

A survey carried out at Ysgol Greenhill in Tenby found 750 areas of concrete in "poor condition" with cracks in both brickwork and concrete slabs.

Pembrokeshire council leader Jon Harvey approved the £555,946 to rectify "external wall concrete frame failure" at the school.

The decision was published on Wednesday afternoon on the council's website in a highly unusual move.

The survey was carried out in July 2024 by the contractor Trident Civil Engineering.

Defects were monitored and re-assessed during a second visit to the school in February 2025.

The company stated that the deterioration of the concrete posed a "significant risk" that could endanger pedestrians and potentially damage vehicles.

It added: "Some columns have lost enough structural mass to bring their integrity into question.

"We strongly advise that these works be categorised as urgent and immediately necessary to restore safety and suitability for use."

Chipped walls can be seen with signs of discolouration outside Ysgol Greenhill.Image source, Trident Civil Engineering
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Trident Civil Engineering's report includes photos of several areas that need restoration

Funding for the work will come from the building maintenance reserves for the schools capital programme.

It is understood that most of the work will be carried out during the school holidays meaning pupils will not be affected by the disruption.

The issue is not linked to Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), which has caused issues within a number of schools and buildings across the UK.

Pembrokeshire County Council said the work had to be prioritised because it was urgent, and to take advantage of the Easter holidays.

The former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council said it was a "totally unprecedented" situation for Ysgol Greenhill.

John Davies told BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast there were three schools in the county that were "in huge need of renovation."

Mr Davies listed these as Milford Haven School, Ysgol Greenhill in Tenby and Ysgol y Preseli in Crymych.

"But the challenge that every council faces in Wales is that the money and the capital is not there to support that demand," he said.

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