Welsh school plan for Newport refused over flood fears

Plans for Newport's first Welsh language secondary school have been refused over flooding fears.

The council had proposed splitting the existing Duffryn High School site and building a new Welsh-medium school alongside it.

But environment body Natural Resources Wales (NRW) objected, claiming the area was at risk of potentially "dangerous" flooding.

The council's planning committee rejected the application on Wednesday.

Council planners recommended the £17m plan be refused after NRW said it was concerned about the flood risk from the River Ebbw and the Severn Estuary.

It said predicted flood water of "significant depth and velocities" could surround the proposed two schools buildings in future.

'Ridiculous'

Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi said he could not support "putting children and families at risk" while fellow member Richard White agreed, saying he had never before come across such a strongly-worded objection from NRW.

The council is legally required to provide secondary education in Welsh in Newport, as currently, pupils travel to neighbouring authorities.

It previously said the Duffryn site was the only viable option for the new school, as it did not have an empty alternative site or sufficient funding for a new-build school.

The decision was greeted with angry calls from the public gallery, with parents later saying it was "ridiculous" to have four feeders but no secondary school in the city.

Chief education officer James Harris argued that the provision was needed this September and another site would not be available until 2020.

In a statement, NRW said: "Recent events across Wales have again demonstrated the need for careful consideration of any proposal to develop in areas of flood risk".

A statement from the council said: "The planning committee's decision does not prevent Newport from having a permanent Welsh medium secondary school and work will start immediately in order to select another location."

The local authority said it intends to use Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon in Brynglas as a temporary location for Welsh medium secondary education from September 2016.