SCHOOL CLOSURES Newborough likely to play host to area school for south Anglesey youngsters
PLANS to close four primary schools in south Anglesey are expected to take a significant step forward this week.
Earlier this year, Anglesey Council’s Executive launched a formal consultation over plans that would see six schools in the south of the island reduced to three, with a new £5m facility built in Newborough.
This Thursday, the authority’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee is expected to give their blessing to plans that would see Ysgol Gymuned Bodorgan, Ysgol Dwyran and Ysgol Llangaffo merged with Ysgol Niwbwrch on a new site in Newborough.
However, Ysgol Parc y Bont in Lland- AN UNDER-fire councillor who says he’s being “unfairly targeted” by council officers, has written to the First Minister seeking an urgent meeting.
Last week, an Adjudication Panel for Wales appeal hearing in Llangefni recommended that Anglesey Council’s Standards Committee should suspend Cllr Peter Rogers from council duties for a period of three months.
This follows alleged breaches of the council’s code of conduct and Cllr Rogers’ failure to declare “a close personal association” with the buyer of a parcel of land in Dwyran, having “misused his position” to gain an advantage for the buyer.
Despite the Standards Committee originally deciding to suspend him for a month, the appeal recommended that it be extended.
But the former Conservative AM believes that he’s “continuing to be targeted” by senior officers within Anglesey Council, by way of “unfounded complaints” to the Public Services Ombudsman.
According to Cllr Rogers, this is being done “to divert attention from their own management and administrative failings”.
As a result, he had requested a meeting with Local Government Minister, Lesley Griffiths, seeking a daniel Fab would remain unchanged while Ysgol Brynsiencyn would stay open but federated with another school which would also mean sharing a headteacher.
Significant savings by reducing the number of empty school spaces are expected to be realised, with the Welsh Government set to contribute half of the costs towards the new school.
However, the news is expected to come as a big blow to parents in the Malltraeth, Dwyran and Llangaffo areas, who have been fighting to keep their meeting to discuss the matter further.
But having allegedly had his requests ignored Cllr Rogers, one of two members for the Bro Aberffraw ward, is now seeking an “urgent meeting” with First Minister Carwyn Jones.
He said: “Had she (Lesley Griffiths) agreed to meet me, it would have resolved the serious problems that have now escalated to such an extent that in my view it may now require a criminal investigation.
“I am very disappointed that Carwyn Jones appears not to have recognised the seriousness of the situation following the Council’s previous time spent under intervention by Welsh local schools open.
Members of Malltraeth Ymlaen have stated that parents in the village are strongly opposed to sending their children to Newborough, citing that closing the school would lead to the “destruction of a vibrant community.”
The report also suggests that Ysgol Brynsiencyn remaining open in the long-term would also be dependent on pupils numbers remaining strong.
Mr Emrys Bebb, summing up the recommendation that will be presented to members of the Scrutiny Committee on Assembly Government.”
In response, an Anglesey Council spokesman said: “We are currently awaiting the full judgment, which we understand will not be available for at least a month.
“The full judgment will then go to the Standards Committee to consider the Panel’s recommendation on sanction.
“The Council will not be making any further comment until the process has concluded.”
However, a spokesman for Carwyn Jones noted: “The First Minister responded to the letter in question on 7 September and directly addressed the concerns raised by Councillor Rogers.” Thursday, noted: “Locating one of the new schools in the Newborough area would mean that about a third of the children are able to walk to school.
“A location in the Newborough area would also be convenient for many parents from Newborough and possibly Malltraeth who travel on the B4421 towards the A55 to work.”
Despite the plans going in front of the committee, no final decision will be made until the findings are presented to the Council Executive, which is expected to take place next month.