Education Minister Gives Go Ahead For £5.9m Gwersyllt Welsh Medium School

Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews has given the go ahead for a new £5.9m Welsh medium school in Gwersyllt.

If it achieves full planning consent the community primary school for 3-11 year olds will open on Delamere Avenue in September 2013.

The minister said that he was satisfied that the proposals had been brought about as a result of increased parental demand for a Welsh medium school in the area.

He also believed that a high standard of education provision would be met by the level of investment in facilities and resources as well as a planned federation with Ysgol Plas Coch.

Despite some anger from local residents at the school being built on green land only five objections were sent in, with one being from the Headteacher of Gwersyllt Community Primary School who raised fears about the effect on other local schools.

Other objections included concerns that the survey undertaken by Wrexham Council to prove demand for a Welsh medium primary school was out of date and that the building process would be disruptive to local residents and rob them of open space.

However, overall the minister felt that the local authority had adequately addressed the concerns raised.

He added that if the school was not approved additional temporary accommodation would need to be built to meet demand at Ysgol Plas Coch which could cause overcrowding.

70% of the funding required to build it will be met by the Welsh Government’s Capital Funding Branch with 30% already raised by Wrexham Council through land sales.

The final hurdle for the school will be to achieve full planning consent at a council meeting on the 11th June.