Issue - meetings

To submit a report by the Head of Learning.

It was resolved -

·        To approve the original proposal, namely to refurbish and extend Ysgol Llandegfan, close Ysgol Beaumaris and refurbish Ysgol Llangoed.

·        To authorise Officers to continue with the process of refurbishing and extending Ysgol Llandegfan, closing Ysgol Beaumaris and refurbishing Ysgol Llangoed.

The report of the Head of Learning incorporating an objection report (Appendix 1) following the publication of a Statutory Notice of the Authority’s intention to close Ysgol Beaumaris, extend and refurbish Ysgol Llandegfan and refurbish Ysgol Llangoed, was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth reported that in order to comply with the requirements of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, the Authority issued a Statutory Notice of its intention to close Ysgol Beaumaris, to extend and refurbish Ysgol Llandegfan and to refurbish Ysgol Llangoed. The Statutory Notice was issued on 14 January, 2019 following which there was a 28-day period in which to lodge objections to the proposal. Appendix 1 to the report provides a summary of the 50 objections that were received together with the Authority’s response to each objection. The way in which the Council deals with objections to a statutory notice is in line with the procedure set out in the Schools’ Organisation Code 2013 which requires the Executive to then decide whether the proposals should be approved, rejected or approved with adaptations. A statutory notice of the Authority’s intention to implement the proposal was originally issued on 22 November, 2018 meaning that the 28-day objection period closed on 27 December, 2018 which coincided with the school holidays. To provide stakeholders with additional time in which to respond, a further statutory notice was issued on 14 January, 2019 with the objection period ending on 10 February, 2019.

The Portfolio Member said that the process of modernising the primary education provision in the Seiriol area began in June, 2017 with a non-statutory consultation after which a statutory consultation process was held. On 26 March, 2018 the Executive decided to delay a decision in order to undertake a new statutory consultation on the proposals for primary education in the area. The Portfolio Member said that today’s meeting where the Executive must reaffirm, reject or amend the proposals which it approved on 18 July, 2018 whereby Ysgol Llandegfan would be extended and refurbished, Ysgol Beaumaris closed and Ysgol Llangoed refurbished therefore represents the culmination of a long process in which careful consideration has been given to the future of primary education provision in the Seiriol area, which has entailed extensive consultations along the way and which has also been paused in order to re-undertake consultation.

The Head of Learning referred to the objections set out in Appendix 1 to the report which could be summarised under the following themes –

•           On the grounds of process including the conduct of the consultations and the issuing of the statutory notice.

•           On the basis of the proposal’s potential effects on the town of Beaumaris, and on its demography.

•           Based on disagreement with the preferred option.

•           On the basis that insufficient consideration has been given to alternative options.

•           On the grounds that the proposals could lead to parents choosing to send their children to schools on the mainland.

•  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2