Village parents fight on

Parents fighting proposals to close a Mid Wales village school have called for investigations to prove a replacement is suitable.

More than 40 parents, community councillors and residents packed a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss plans to close Howey Church in Wales Primary School.

They challenged councillors to prove they can provide a better service as the first of six consultation meetings on the planned school closures was held.

Powys County Council officers also want to close Ysgol Gynradd Carno, Llanfihangel Church in Wales School, Ysgol Efyrnwy, Llangurig County Primary School and Ysgol Thomas Stephens.

The meeting was told Howey Church in Wales Primary School had a low pupil base, more than 40 per cent surplus capacity and the council was spending more than the average per pupil.

But parents demanded investigations into whether the council’s preferred receiving school at Newbridge-on-Wye was suitable and called for guarantees about safe transport after concerns were raised.