Outline Planning Permission For Six Bells School

The Council’s Education Directorate has welcomed a unanimous decision by the Planning Committee to grant outline planning permission for a new community primary school on the former Six Bells Colliery site. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The development is a part of the Council’s 21st Century Schools projects aimed at modernising the school estate in the area and to continue to fulfil its commitment to improving school standards and education performance in Blaenau Gwent. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The school will replace Bryngwyn Road and Queen Street campuses and be a part of the Abertillery Learning Community which opened in September 2016. The £6.9million school is being supported by funding from the Council and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council’s Education teams worked with members of the local community to looks at views that were raised by local people and this did result in several aspects of the original application being amended. The Council hopes to continue to work with the community going forward on matters that will form part of the full planning permission next year such as the detailed design of the building. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Keren Bender, the Council’s Executive Member for Education said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I welcome the decision of the planning committee to grant outline planning permission for a new community primary school in Six Bells. A new school will give the children of the area the modern learning environment and facilities they deserve and continue the Council’s commitment to raising education standards and aspirations in the Abertillery area and Blaenau Gwent as a whole. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We can now progress to appointing a contractor for the build and the Council will work closely with whoever is appointed on the reserved matters that have been agreed as part of the permission. This should give a strong reassurance that we will continue to be supportive of some of the important issues that have been identified by the community before the submission of a full planning application next year. This includes the final design of the building, maintaining access and viewpoints to the Guardian Memorial, car parking and highway and traffic measures. We have worked closely with representatives from the Six Bells Regeneration Trust to take into account local concerns and this did result in improvements to the original scheme. We now look forward to taking this important development forward.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• The Abertillery Learning Community opened in September 2016. It involved the coming together of four local primary schools and the secondary school to provide 3 – 16 all- through education for children and young people. There are five separate campuses, which will become four when Bryngwyn Rd and Queen St campuses merge into the new school. The Learning Community has a Principal and a Vice Principal and a Head of Campus at each site.