“We desperately need people to respond to the Ysgol Calon Cymru consultation,” Builth Wells County Councillor says.

Councillor Jeremy Pugh told Builth Wells Town Council that there are far reaching issues and questions which have not been dealt with and he is concerned.

Residents have until December 4 to send their views to Powys County Council.

He said he questions the ambition of recruiting enough Welsh-speaking teachers for the Builth campus.

A report on the BBC in September said latest figures showed an attempt to increase the number of Welsh-speaking teachers is failing

The Welsh government said about 225 additional secondary school teachers were needed annually, with 153 primary school teachers, making a total of 378 new recruits but the latest figures, showed 396 Welsh speaking teachers were trained between 2022-23 but 395 left the profession.

“At the moment there is a severe lack of teachers in the north and south to teach through Welsh. I don’t think it’s going to happen. The real problem is Powys County Council want to start this by 2027 but as far as I can see there is no money set aside for the school in Llandrindod Wells. I believe it would be better to leave it to 2030/32.

“We will end up with an English-speaking group in the middle here, the state of the buildings in Llandrindod Wells is awful. Are they going to move the English-speaking leaners to that place in Llandrindod or will they leave them here between a Welsh language school and a Welsh primary and what will be the outcome?

He said there are also issues for surrounding primary schools in Llanelwedd and Franksbridge.

“At the moment the numbers of responses coming in to the consultation are really low and that is disappointing.”

Councillor Gwyn Davies said he thinks people believe the decision has already been made and it is a forgone conclusion.

“Powys County Council has a habit of running consultations and not really listening to the responses. I don’t know how to turn people’s opinions around on that,” he said

Builth Wells Mayor Councillor Mark Hammond said he did not know if English-speaking parents were aware that their kids could be moved to a school that is not fit for purpose.

“I think until everything is ready the plan should be pushed back,” he said.

Councillor Pugh said: “I have asked them to do the Llandrindod campus first so that is a better quality building but that does not fit their narrative and opinion. All they care about is hitting their agenda.

“I am not against the proposal but I am against the way they are going about the proposal, not enough thought is going into what is going to happen to the English speaking children.”

Councillor Hammond agreed but said he also wonders what will happen to Welsh-speaking pupils when they leave education and have to get a job in England where no-one will care if they have studied in Welsh.

Essentially the uncoupling of the Llandrindod and Builth schools would be done in two distinct phases, which are supposed to be completed by 2029.

The Builth Wells campus would become a new Welsh medium four to 18 all-through primary and secondary school.

While the Llandrindod Wells campus would provide English medium education and continue under the Ysgol Calon Cymru brand.

The idea is to plug a gap in Welsh medium education provision at high school level in “Mid-Powys” and the council has said that they would invest in the infrastructure at the sites.

Director of Education, Dr Richard Jones explained that the all-through Welsh medium school in Builth Wells is expected to take children from primary schools in Builth Wells, Rhayader, and Trefonnen (Llandrindod Wells).

This means that 258 pupils are potentially available to move up to the Welsh medium secondary school phase in Builth Wells.

A Powys County Council spokesman said: “Cabinet considered the consultation report on the proposal to establish an all-through Welsh-medium school on the Builth Wells campus of Ysgol Calon Cymru. The report reflected a range of views about the proposals.

“After reviewing the consultation responses, Cabinet agreed to accept the report and proceed to the next stage by publishing a statutory notice on the proposal. This statutory notice gives people a further opportunity to share their views before any final decision is made.”

 The statutory notice relating to the proposals affecting Ysgol Calon Cymru and Builth Wells C.P. School was published on November 6. The objection period in respect of this proposal will end on December 4 2025.

“Objections should be sent to Dr Richard Jones, Director of Education, Powys County Council, Powys County Hall, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, LD1 5LG or by email to transforming.education@powys.gov.uk.”

A further objections report is expected to be back in front of Cabinet in February next year.