Cabinet agree to delay set up of a Welsh medium all through school in Builth Wells until September 2028

Senior councillors have agreed that setting up a Welsh-medium all-through school in Builth Wells, which forms part of a proposal to split up a high school in Powys, will be delayed by a year.

The locally unpopular proposal is supposed to take place in phases, with the Welsh-medium aspect at Builth Wells due to start in September 2027, but this will now be pushed back to September 2028.

It is now expected that pupils throughout the whole of the Builth Wells campus-based all-age school (four to 18), which is to be named Ysgol Bro Epynt, will be taught in Welsh by September 2032.

The delay was agreed by members of the Liberal Democrat and Labour cabinet at their meeting on Tuesday, October 20.

At the meeting, education portfolio holder Councillor James Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat – Glasbury) presented his colleagues with two options: either continuing with the original timeline or delaying for a year.

The decision on splitting up the school had been taken in February, before US President Donald Trump started his ill-judged war against Iran, which has caused havoc with fuel prices and turbulence for economies all around the world.

Cllr Gibson-Watt said: “This is a complex process and one involving not just a major construction proposal in Llandrindod Wells but alterations to the Builth Wells campus to accommodate an all-age school population.”

He explained that “significant work” had already taken place, which included setting up a temporary governing body and chair, agreeing the new school’s name, beginning the recruitment of a headteacher, and holding “extensive discussions” on the site plans.

The report explains that problems include the length of the tender process, with contractors saying that eight weeks is needed, while the council’s assumption had been for a four-week tender period.

A further business case also needs to be agreed by the cabinet and submitted to and agreed by the Welsh Government to help fund the project.

Cllr Gibson-Watt said: “Despite that good progress, procurement and development challenges have arisen.

“From my perspective, it is absolutely essential that we minimise any risks in this process.”

He explained that option one, which is to continue with the original timeline, would be “messy”.

Cllr Gibson-Watt said: “Things would not be ready in time for the planned changes in September 2027.

“Or we can move to option two, which is to change the implementation date for the whole of phase one to September 2028, and I must stress that this in no way impacts the plans for the Llandrindod campus; it’s unaffected by this proposal.”

This means that, at the moment, the second phase of the scheme, which is to build a replacement school building for Ysgol Calon Cymru in Llandrindod Wells, remains on track for September 2029.

Cllr Gibson-Watt continued: “The advice from officers is clear: option two is preferred.

“There have been discussions with the governing body and there is a bit of disappointment in this, but I do think it’s essential that the school campus is in the right condition for this significant change in provision.

“It is to our credit that we’re showing flexibility to ensure a successful outcome.”

Cabinet went ahead and unanimously voted for the delay.