Green light for new £30m high school in city

PLANS for a £30m school in Cardiff that would cater for more than 1,500 pupils have been approved by planners.

Councillors unanimously approved plans for Cardiff West Community High School, which will replace Michaelston Community College and Glyn Derw High School.

The schools have been operating as Michaelston Glyn Derw Federation since April 2015.

The new school, on Penally Road in Caerau, will be built on the site of the former Glyn Derw High, which was devastated by a fire in 2016.

The new school will accommodate 1,200 year seven to year 11 pupils, plus 320 sixth formers for post-16 education, when it is expected to open in February 2019.

Planners discussed the plans at length and were unanimous in their support for the development.

Labour councillor Peter Bradbury, who serves Caerau, said: “I have attended every meeting and it’s genuinely an emotional moment for me to see it so close to being approved.”

He called it a “massive step” in improving education until the age of 18, and said it would be beneficial for local businesses.

Conservative councillor Sean Driscoll, who serves Llandaff, raised some concerns about parking while parents drop their children off at school, but expressed his support for the development and said it is “long overdue”.

Plaid Cymru councillor Keith Parry, who serves Fairwater, said the school will be an “asset” to the area, while Conservative councillor Mike Jones-Pritchard, who serves Whitchurch and Tongwynlais, said it “is an extremely important building for the city”.

The school will be made up of three two-storey buildings.

A secondary school building will include 50 classrooms, plus large, flexible open teaching spaces, a main hall and dining area.

The sixth form block for post-16 students would have 18 classrooms, with a hall, study room and a dining room and cafe.

A new sports hall will include changing facilities and an activity studio, while a 3G rugby and football pitch complete with floodlights and a stand for 100 spectators will be built to the north of the site.

Allotments, a wildflower meadow, an orchard and an amphitheatre were also included in the plans.

The community will be able to access the sports building, sports pitches, changing facilities, activity studio, adult learning classrooms and the hair and beauty classroom outside of school hours.