Llancarfan school closure will not be reversed by Labour
- Published
Parents have fought a bitter battle to save the school
Labour leaders in the Vale of Glamorgan are backing a plan to close a rural primary school despite having previously opposed it.
The party took control in May after the ruling Tory group split partly due to a row over relocating Llancarfan Primary School five miles away to Rhoose.
Deputy Labour group leader Lis Burnett said in January the move "wouldn't be happening" if the party was in charge.
But Labour leader Neil Moore has now told members the plan will not change.
Speaking at a full council meeting on Monday, he said: "I mentioned at the last council meeting that I would personally carry out my own informal review of the Llancarfan School decision made by the previous administration.
"I have concluded I will not be bringing any report to a future cabinet."
The council wants to transfer pupils from Llancarfan school into a new "super primary" in Rhoose
More than 1,000 people have opposed the plans over two consultations, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A spokesman for the Save Llancarfan School campaign group said they were "extremely disappointed" that Labour leaders would not reverse the decision, "despite the strong arguments against closure and Labour's past support for the 'save the school' campaign".
"It is lamentable that they have not stayed true to their word," the spokesman added.
Former Tory Welsh Assembly group leader Andrew RT Davies, who won election to the council in support of the Llancarfan campaign, said Labour's decision was "disgraceful".
"Regrettably, successive political leaderships at the Vale council have now failed to stand up to officers and these crazy proposals, which show a staggering disregard for rural community life," he said.
The closure is still subject to approval from the Welsh Government, once the council has presented a business case for it.
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