Residents oppose £5m Welsh school plan at Gwersyllt

Residents have hit out at plans to build a £5.9m school on fields opposite their homes in Wrexham.

Householders on Delamere Avenue, Gwersyllt, are also unhappy Wrexham council has yet to consult them.

The authority announced this summer it wants to build a new Welsh medium primary school to ease over-crowding.

A council official said the location had since been earmarked because 85% of pupils in temporary accommodation at a neighbouring school lived in the area.

One of the opponents, David Jones, said the recreational area in question had been created in the 1970s because residents wanted somewhere to go.

"We are rather disturbed about the council plan," he said.

"This came out of the blue. The council has not contacted residents and that has angered people."

Mr Jones said residents were concerned about losing their green space, even though it borders Alyn Waters Country Park.

Over-subscribed

They were also worried about increases in traffic along their road, just off the A541 Wrexham-Mold road en route to Bradley.

John Davies, the Wrexham council chief learning officer, said a large number of families in Gwersyllt, Llay and Summerhill areas wanted to send their children to a Welsh-medium school.

They are currently attending over-subscribed Ysgol Plas Coch, Wrexham, in temporary accommodation.

The school's capacity is 240 pupils but there were currently 318 pupils at the school, with additional mobile classrooms, and the school hall being utilised as teaching space.

The planned new school would consist of 210 places to alleviate the pressure on Welsh medium schools such as Plas Coch.

Wrexham councillors have given their approval to fund £1.7m, or 30%, towards the costs with the main source of funding coming from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Planning proposals have yet to go before Wrexham council but, if approved, work could start on site next July.