Green Party Candidate for Carmarthenshire Rob James Demands Answers Over Delayed Ammanford School Project

Questions are being raised over the future of land purchased by Carmarthenshire County Council for a new school in Ammanford, with no clear public update on the project since the acquisition was announced.

The need to modernise education provision in the Ammanford area has been recognised for over a decade, with proposals for new or reorganised schools forming part of the Council’s wider Modernising Education Programme since at least the early 2010s.

In 2023, the Council confirmed after being questioned by Cllr Rob James that land had been purchased for a new school, describing the project, particularly the development of Welsh-medium provision, as a priority. The move was seen as a significant step forward in addressing long-standing capacity and infrastructure challenges in the area.

However, while recent Council decisions have focused on reconfiguring nursery provision within existing schools, there has been no corresponding public update on the delivery of the new school on the purchased site.

The lack of clarity has prompted calls for the Council to confirm whether the land remains in its ownership, whether the project is still part of its active programme, and what steps are being taken to move it forward.

Rob James, Wales Green Party Councillor stated “Residents have been hearing about plans for new schools in Ammanford for many years. The council has even gone as far as purchasing land, yet there is still no clear timeline for when a new school will be built.

“People deserve to know what is happening with the land that has been purchased and whether this long-promised investment is still going ahead. Having visited the schools in Ammanford, I know that the environment in which pupils are being taught in is not fit for purpose.”

The councillor has written to the Cabinet Member for Education seeking clarification on the status of the land, the future of the proposed new school, and whether alternative options, including the use of brownfield sites, have been fully considered as part of a sustainable approach to development.

Cllr Rob James added “This is about transparency and long-term planning. After more than a decade of discussion, the community deserves clear answers.”