CAMPAIGNERS have been left devastated after it was revealed that the Plaid-led Carmarthenshire County Council – and the new Plaid Welsh Government has not set aside any money for a long-promised and much-needed new special school in Llanelli.
Campaigners have called the admission over the lack of allocated cash for the long-delayed plans for a new Ysgol Heol Goffa a ‘shattering blow’.
The news of a ‘£35 million black hole’ in Plaid funding for the new school emerged at a full County Council meeting on Wednesday.
Proposals for a replacement for the dilapidated, unfit Ysgol Heol Goffa building were pledged by the Plaid administration 10 years ago.
The plans were then ditched by Plaid in May 2024 after the County Council said it could not afford them – much to the dismay of the school community, with the County Council Executive citing rising construction costs to renege on their original promise by the then Leader of Plaid.
The Labour opposition group on the County Council, parents, Llanelli Labour town councillors and unions fought a huge public campaign demanding that the school be built, attacking Plaid for abandoning its promises to some of the county’s most vulnerable children.
Campaigners protested, marched and gathered a 9,000-plus signature petition which resulted in another pledge by Plaid to build a new school, with the Cabinet voting in favour in June 2025.
A month later the council approved – to a fanfare of publicity – plans for a £35 million, 150-pupil new school near Ysgol Penrhos in Llanelli, stating that the new school should open to pupils in September 2029.
At this week’s full county council meeting official Opposition Group Leader for Labour, Councillor Deryk Cundy quizzed Education Cabinet Member councillor Glynog Davies.
Welcoming plans for the new school, Councillor Cundy asked: ‘Will the Welsh-governing Plaid Cymru party guarantee the 75 per cent funding for the school build that the Labour Party had previously allocated?’
In his reply councillor Davies stated the county council had a ‘good track record’ on presenting new school schemes to Welsh Government.’
He added that the 75 per cent contribution from the Plaid led Welsh Government ‘depends on the final business case.
‘We haven’t got to that stage yet, and I have to correct you, Deryk – the former Labour Government had not given a grant allocation to the previous Heol Goffa project.’
Councillor Cundy said: ‘I’m really concerned with the funding. You have inferred previously that we have ring-fenced te required 25 per cent of this project yet I can’t see that allocation in the capital funding anywhere.
‘My question is – hasn’t it been confirmed?’
Councillor Glynog Davies replied:”‘It hasn’t been, well not yet. It’s been confirmed that there will be more funds. It has not been confirmed in the past because that business case hasn’t been presented – or approved.”
‘As I said, we have an excellent track record. I have confidence in this team of officers we have in the department that those plans are robust, and we are moving forward at pace, and once that business case is presented we will get an informative answer.’
Councillor Cundy, speaking after the meeting, said: ‘There was written confirmation of a 75% top up from the previous Labour Welsh Government, awaiting the request for funds, which was never received from the County Council however since the change of Government in Cardiff this has not been ratified.’
‘Clearly from the Cabinet Member for Education’s own utterances, and despite all the public fanfares, no money has been actually committed to the new Ysgol Heol Goffa, despite assurances that the150 place school will be built.’
‘As a Labour Group we have consistently said that a new school for Ysgol Heol Goffa would be our top education priority.
‘Councillor Davies actually made great play of the fact that Plaid had spent £500,000 on the current school over and above the standard maintainence.’
“Let us be clear, this money was desperately needed to repair a school Plaid had allowed to fall into disrepair, resulting in substandard. conditions that no child should be educated in.”
”The planned new school will cost £35 million at today’s prices, according to official figures.
‘If there is further bluster and delay that figure will rise again’.
‘My biggest fear is that Plaid will claim again – at some point in the future – that it doesn’t have enough money to proceed with the new school, as they have in the past, despite legal obligations to provide this facility. ‘
Ysgol Heol Goffa campaigner, Lliedi ward town councillor Shaun Greaney, said he was furious and the school community would be ‘devastated if councillor Davies’s declaration on Wednesday morning was correct.’
He criticised Plaid for ‘mealy-mouthed words which appear to contradict – once again – all their previous public promises and declarations.’
Labour councillor Greaney said: ‘How can they treat the Ysgol Heol Goffa community in such an awful way yet again? Have they no conscience? No principles? Don’t they care that children with severe and complex medical needs have been taught for years in substandard school buildings and messed around by Plaid politicians who should know better
‘Personally, I think they are a disgrace and should all resign. This is their shameful scandal and they should be made to answer for it’
‘It reeks of political indifference and an old-fashioned attitude to children with special needs and disabilities. Don’t they believe Ysgol Heol Goffa pupils deserve equality?’
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