Llanerfyl school closure confirmed by Powys council

Ysgol Llanerfyl was earmarked to close after consultation last year

Powys council leaders have confirmed a decision to close a rural Welsh-medium primary school and merge it with another two-and-a-half miles away.

The closure of Ysgol Llanerfyl will save £50,000 a year, with pupils being transferred to a revamped Ysgol Dyffryn Banw in Llangadfan, opening in 2020.

Council bosses confessed to a "long drawn-out process" but claimed the merger would increase opportunities.

They also stressed the new school would be a Welsh-medium facility.

The cabinet confirmed it was sticking by the decision it had taken in April after considering 15 objections which came during the statutory four weeks of public consultation that followed.

These had ranged from fears for the Welsh language, to abuse of process and claims of corruption in making the decision.

The new school will open on the site of Ysgol Dyffryn Banw

One of the reasons behind the closure was the number of pupils at the schools.

In January this year, Dyffryn Banw had 22 pupils and Llanerfyl 28.

However, senior education manager Marianne Evans told cabinet members: "As of this morning, the first day of term, we have 34 pupils in Ysgol Dyffryn Banw and 14 pupils attending Ysgol Llanerfyl."

Stephen Hayes, the cabinet member for adult services, praised local people for being "very far-sighted" in proposing reorganisation in the first place, although it had been "a difficult situation since then".

"We need to recognise that it's very important that this will be a Welsh-medium school, and it's important that this provision is available in the valley," he added.

• Rural school closure plan is approved

• Primary and high schools merger backed

Council leader Rosemarie Harris added: "It's a sad day to close a school."

Following the meeting, Ysgol Dyffryn Banw school governor Buddug Bates told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "This has been a very, very difficult process and has dragged on for years.

"There had to be a final decision and we need to move on now."