New School For Gorseinon Firmly In Council Sights

Pupils and parents at a Swansea primary school in need of replacement are being reassured that the council intends to get on and build their school as soon as possible. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Swansea Council plans to spend around £100m in the coming years on a range of new and improved schools across the city as part of a second wave of improvements following more than £70m-worth of investments in the last few years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

And now parents at Gorseinon Primary School who are hoping to see a new school built at Parc y Werin are being reassured their children won’t be left behind. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Jen Raynor, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Teachers and staff at Gorseinon Primary School are doing a fantastic job educating children in their community and they deserve facilities which are fit for the 21st century. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our plans for a second wave of new school building announced last week will not leave Gorseinon Primary School behind. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Parents know the only thing holding-up progress is a Village Green Application for Parc y Werin, which is due to be heard early next year. Had the application not been lodged the new play area promised for the park would have been there by now and the school-build well underway. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It is our intention that construction of the school at Parc y Werin will start as soon as possible if the village green application is thrown out.The money is there, the will is there and the need is most certainly there.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Council plans for a new-build primary school for Gorseinon at Parc y Werin were approved by planning committee last December. A Village Green Application was put in a few weeks beforehand and a local public inquiry is now due to take place early in 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new school plans included provision of an all-weather pitch and other facilities which would be made available for letting by community groups and sports clubs at weekends and holidays and a new car park which would remain open during evenings and weekends so that it can be used by the community.. For the first time pupils at the school would have access to 21st century facilities and green space for sport, play and study on the doorstep of their classrooms. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The £100m of spending planned for education in the coming years includes four new school-builds and upgrades for others. The next step will be a feasibility study to look in more detail at how the plans can be taken forward. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​