Councillors have voted to start formal consultation to close two Powys primary schools in a bid to save up to £200,000 a year.

Trefnanney Primary School, near Meifod, and Dolfor Primary School, near Newtown, could now be closed by August 2012, because of their falling pupil numbers.

Powys County Council today said it would start closure consultation with the governing bodies, parents and the local communities.

At a meeting of the council’s cabinet yesterday members agreed to recommend the closures go ahead.

Councillors also agreed that no further action be taken to close Ysgol Pontrobert, near Meifod, and Castle Caereinion Primary School, near Welshpool. But they said they would continue to monitor the pupil numbers at the schools and look at ways of reducing surplus places.

Councillor Eldrydd Jones, from Meifod and a former pupil of Trefnanney Primary School, said she was opposed to the closures.

She said: “I’m opposing the closure of Trefnanney and must point out that this will be an extremely difficult time for the community.

“Trefnanney Primary School has been around for more than 140 years and I am a former pupil. I hope the council can work with the governors, staff, parents and pupils to make this as easy as it possibly can be for them.”

She said the 24 pupils at the school had been fighting to keep it open.

“They made a petition which has been handed into the council and wrote letters explaining why the school was so special to them,” she said.

Councillor Kath Roberts-Jones said it was a “very sad” day for Dolfor Primary School. The school has 24 pupils.

Councillor Stephen Hayes, council’s cabinet member for schools, said: “The authority has been reviewing a number of small schools to make sure it is making the most efficient use of resources and providing a sustainable primary school structure. We are facing a significant problem of surplus places.”

By Anwen Evans