Delight as work on new school begins

Work began earlier in the summer on building a new English medium school in Welshpool on Salop Road fields, with a new Welsh medium school being developed in the town.

Work is progressing well, with a new car park already being laid.

An official launch took place on September 7 with the school council being given their first site visit, and they were also able to ask questions of contractors Dawnus.

The school will have a 360-pupil capacity, and headteacher Justin Baldwin said: "It was a real privilege to see the project so far and I was delighted to bring the children, governors and representatives from the Diocese to see the how the project has developed.

"It was also exciting to see how far the project has already come so far.

“We’re delighted that this building is going to be a sustainable building and it is a fantastic design by Dawnus.

Impact

"It is very important that the decisions we make in the present day have a positive impact on the future and it is a good lesson for our pupils so that they can look back and think they did their part for the future.”

Before the build began the project was hit by an extra bill of £3.8 million, because of listed building status on an existing structure and problems with the ground at the Salop Road site. It means the overall cost could be closed to £17 million.

Now the work is progressing, and councillor Myfanwy Alexander, cabinet member for education added: "It was a very exciting day at the launch of the Welshpool Church in Wales construction project and it was exciting for the pupils, local representatives and councillors.

“It was great to celebrate the fact that a new school is coming and sprouting from the ground on this site.”

A launched was also held last week for the launch of construction at Ysgol Carno, with work set to be complete there in February 2019.