Brecon And Gwernyfed Recommendation
Plans to close Gwernyfed and Brecon high schools and establish a single 11-16 school should be abandoned, Powys County Council will be told later this month.
A report outlining feedback from wide-ranging consultation earlier this year and recommending a change of direction will be debated by full council on September 8 and considered for decision by the cabinet on September 27.
The report is recommending plans to close both Gwernyfed and Brecon high schools and create one 11-16 school, with post-16 education delivered by Neath Port Talbot College Group should be abandoned in favour of investment in a new campus at Brecon and improvements at the Gwernyfed site.
The report is recommending to reconsult on the proposal to close the Welsh stream at Brecon High School and have it delivered at the Builth Wells campus of the proposed new two sited secondary school for mid Powys
Cabinet Member for Schools, Councillor Arwel Jones said: “It was clear to anyone who attended the consultation meetings in Gwernyfed and Brecon that the plans for a single 11-16 school operating on one site in Brecon were not supported.
“Although there are many benefits for a larger 11-16 school in Brecon it is not the right solution for the area and that is clear from the consultation responses. The communities have spoken and we have listened and are abandoning our plans for a single school on one site.
“The cabinet will be asked to support plans to submit a revised Outline Business Case to Welsh Government’s 21st C Schools Programme for capital investment for a new build 11 – 18 campus in Brecon and improvements to the Gwernyfed campus.
The recommendations will be debated by full council on Thursday September 8 and will be considered for decision by the cabinet on Tuesday September 27.
A further report on secondary provision in the area will be considered by the cabinet early in the New Year.
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