New homes push schools overcrowding into ‘crisis’
A NEW primary school will need to be built or existing ones extended because of an overcrowding “crisis” made worse by a new housing development.
Bangor has been earmarked as an area in need of urgent attention because of class sizes and the standard of education at some of its schools.
It’s estimated that more than 90 primary school age children and 70 secondary school pupils will live in 245 new homes at Goetre Uchaf, Penrhosgarnedd.
The two nearest primary schools to the development are already over capacity – Ysgol y Faenol by 20 pupils and Ysgol y Garnedd by 120.
Gwynedd council’s planning committee has refused a bid by construction firm Morbaine to build a further 366 homes at nearby Pen y Ffridd. The developer has appealed, and if the decision is overturned additional places will need to be found for around 146 primary and 113 secondary pupils.
The council was successful in securing in principle Welsh Government funding for Bangor of £6,365,000 in a £12,730,000 package that includes £5,249,613 from the local authority and £1,115,387 from Goetre Uchaf builders Redrow.
There is enough room at the two secondary schools, Ysgol Tryfan and Ysgol Friars, for the extra pupils, and two primary schools in the area have low numbers – Ysgol Babanod Coed Mawr and Ysgol Glanadda. There are also concerns a capacity of 210 (excluding nursery) will be inadequate for the new Ysgol Glancegin, Maesgeirchen.
In a report to be discussed by the council cabinet today, education chief Arwyn Thomas warns of a “crisis”, adding: “We know with certainty we cannot contin- ue to teach children in the present Ysgol y Garnedd in the medium term because it is not large enough to cope with the present number of children, not to mention housing any additional children as a result of proposed housing developments.”
While the possibility of building a new primary school has not been confirmed, Mr Thomas warns that the Government’s £6m-plus contribution must be spent by March 2019. He said: “If we are to reach this target there is no alternative but to start the work immediately, in parallel with discussions on educational options.
“Whatever the model or options that are identified, they are very likely to include constructing a school for the children who are presently on the Ysgol y Garnedd and the Ysgol y Faenol sites and therefore, in order to lower the risk of losing the grant funding, it is necessary to commence the design work without delay at the two sites.”
If the report is supported by the cabinet, talks on primary school education in Bangor will begin by forming a Catchment Review Committee before a favoured option is agreed and a detailed business plan sent to Cardiff Bay.