School left derelict for years gets demolished
AN INFANTS school in Blaenrhondda left derelict for years after being destroyed in a fire has finally been knocked down.
Blaenrhondda Infants School has been set alight several times after it closed in 1999 and has since remained a burnt-out shell.
Plans to demolish the school, described as a site of “historical and cultural importance”, and replace it with flats were approved by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council planners in 2014 – but the site remained derelict.
But on November 9 diggers and workers moved onto the site to begin demolition and tear down the well-known school.
Images from the demolition show diggers pulling down the remains of the stone wall building, twisted hunks of metal strewn around the site and a painted sign that would have once welcomed pupils.
Gavin Griffiths, who captured the school being demolished, said: “It is a sad ending I suppose as it had many memories for a lot of people, and mixed feelings as other locals wanted it taken down as it was dangerous.”
Former pupil Brian Rees attended the school as a three-year-old boy in 1955 with his twin sister.
Brian, now 63, said: “It was a lovely school with fantastic teachers who were very disciplined but very fair.
“Our desks had ink wells with a nib fountain pen and blotting paper.
“I have two brothers and sisters who went there and we used to walk all the way down from our house which was halfway up the mountain, it was called Fernhill Houses.
“It was tough in the days but great, great memories.”
The school, which is in a conservation area, was planned to be transformed into 16 one and two-bedroom apartments.
At the time Jonathan Williams, the agent for the ambitious project, said the building, in its current “precarious” state, was dangerous to the public and could soon collapse.
Major concerns were raised by Plaid councillors regarding future flooding problems after officers revealed the plot was located within a “C2” flood-risk zone.
Several neighbours spoke out against the plans at the council’s Clydach Vale headquarters.
Joe Feely, from the Rhondda Conservation Group, said there was merit to preserving the architecture for future generations to admire.
There were also concerns about the scheme affecting the privacy of neighbours, as the site backs on to a nearby residential street.
Mr Rees previously questioned the safety of the site.
Mr Rees said: “It is horrendous. There were kids in there. It should never have come down like that in the first place, it is full of history. We have got nothing like that up in this area, but it’s too late now.”
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to a fire at the school on July 22, 2008.
Another fire broke out at the school in 2006.