SCHOOL’S FATE FINALLY SEALED
Council executive votes for closure despite long campaign:
THE CLOSURE of an Anglesey primary school has been rubber-stamped by councillors.
Ysgol Talwrn currently has 43 pupils on the books - close to its capacity of 49 - but officers recommended that it should shut and have its pupils moved 1.8 miles to an extended Ysgol y Graig in Llangefni.
Members of the executive voted on Monday in favour of its closure, which will lead to a new £4.8m block being built at Ysgol y Graig.
A decision on closing the school had been expected in March, but was delayed at the 11th hour due to an administrative technicality to allow for a third consultation.
The closure of Talwrn comes despite local concerns that the school was being sacrificed to meet a problem in neighbouring Llangefni, where both primary schools are currently full.
A recent report found that, by 2024, Ysgol y Graig will need room for 435 pupils, and the school is currently at its capacity of 330.
Education portfolio holder Cllr Meirion Jones accepted the contentious nature of the plans and acknowledged the difficulties in meeting increasing budget challenges, but was adamant that “doing nothing is not an option”.
He went on to note that education makes up around 40% of council expenditure but faces cuts of around £5.2m over next three years, making reference to the UK Government’s austerity programme despite spending on projects such as HS2 and Trident.
He added: “Most schools were established 150 years ago in areas where children were able to walk to.
“But times have changed and we have to adapt, just like children are able to adapt.
“It’s people that make communities, not buildings.”
Deputy chief executive Annwen Morgan also argued that results at Ysgol y Graig had a tendency to be better despite the spend per pupil being £1,052 lower than Ysgol Talwrn.
Earlier this month, members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee were unable to make a recommendation either way on the plans.
On Monday, Canolbarth Môn councillor Cllr Dylan Rees urged decision makers to reconsider, citing the local opposition.
“The responses from Talwrn have been overwhelmingly against shutting the school, and included a petition of over 1,000 people,” he said.
“They can see the negative impact on the village.”
But his fellow ward members both backed the principle of school reorganisation.
Accepting that such a stance “may not help her in her ward”, Cllr Nicola Roberts pointed to the discrepancy in the spend per pupil and the need to close the gap to be fair with every child on the island.
Cllr Bob Parry, meanwhile, said that with “a heavy heart” he also backed the principle and that the child’s education should also be the main factor.
He added that the building is “old fashioned” and that out of catchment area children attending the school have meant it has remained open for as long as it has.
They both, however, sought assurances that the parking and traffic problems currently seen at peak times outside Ysgol y Graig would be looked at by officers.
Deputy leader Cllr Ieuan Williams also disputed suggestions that schools were necessarily “the heart of their communities”, raising the example of Marianglas, where he grew up.
There, he says, the community has been able to maintain the local Eisteddfod and a number of community events despite the school having shut many decades ago.
Members of the Executive voted unanimously to back the plans, which will result in Ysgol Talwrn closing when the new educational block has been completed.