SCHOOL CLOSURES PUT ON HOLD AS MINISTER PROBES DECISION:

THE closures of a number of primary schools in Anglesey are set to be put on hold after concerns were raised over the decision-making process.

In the past 12 months Anglesey Council has forged ahead with its schools reorganisation project in a bid to reduce the number of empty spaces and cut costs.

But, after the education minister revealed last month that she was investigating a complaint that the council did not follow proper procedure in deciding to shut a village primary, officers will now ask the executive to rescind its previous decisions which affected schools in the Llangefni and Beaumaris areas.

In December, despite 111 letters of objection, councillors rubberstamped the closure of Ysgol Gymuned Bodffordd in order to merge the school with Llangefni’s Ysgol Corn Hir in a brand new facility.

This followed decisions made in July to shut Ysgol Gynradd Beaumaris, while refurbishing Ysgol Llandegfan and Ysgol Llangoed, as well as the closure of Ysgol Talwrn, with the pupils set to be moved 1.8 miles away to an extended Ysgol y Graig in Llangefni.

But all three projects are now up in the air, and members of the executive are to be asked to rescind their earlier decisions during a meeting on May 20.

While the authority has maintained all along that proper procedure was followed, education minister Kirsty Williams confirmed in early April that she would investigate whether the council had kept within the guidelines of the new Schools Organisation Code.

The code, adopted last November, established a presumption in favour of keeping rural schools open.

According to campaigners wanting to keep Ysgol Bodffordd open, they had “detailed evidence” that authority had failed in its duties.

A spokesman for Anglesey Council said: “The recommendation comes after a recent internal review of the statutory consultation process highlighted concerns regarding compliance with the School Organisation Code (Welsh Government) 2013.

“If executive members agree to rescind their previous decisions, any new statutory consultation process relating to the Llangefni and Seiriol areas would follow the requirements of the new School Organisation Code, published in November 2018.”

In March, the authority’s planning committee approved the new multimillion-pound school which will cater for 360 pupils as well as another 90 nursery places, to be shared between the pupils of Ysgol Bodffordd and Llangefni’s Ysgol Corn Hir. But this project, as with the others, is likely to be put on hold until the new consultations are carried out - likely to take several months.

A council spokesman added: “The the process has been a very challenging one and has meant difficult decisions with regard to the rationalisation of schools in order to build new schools for future generations. So far, three new 21st century primary schools have been built and opened in Holyhead, Llanfaethlu and Newborough.

“County council officers have made Welsh Government and appropriate stakeholders aware of this intention.”

Heulwen Roberts, a member of a campaign to keep Ysgol Talwrn open, said while the decision showed they were vindicated to some degree, it also means months of worry for parents.

She said: “To a large degree it’s very embarrassing for the council to have to go back to the drawing board, and you have to question whether there should be resignations as a result of this. We now face months of having to go through this process again and the hurt it will cause for everyone concerned, but we will continue to fight.”

The council executive will discuss the request to rescind the previous decisions on May 20.