Residents can now see for themselves the exciting new plans being put forward to transform and improve education in the Cynon Valley.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has organised a series of roadshows and exhibitions to enable interested parties to find out more about the groundbreaking proposals, which were announced last month.
The events include interactive roadshows where residents can find out more, view plans, artists’ impressions and even computerised “fly-throughs” of how the new schools could look.
These events will also enable people to leave informal views and comments on the proposed schemes.
For those who cannot make it to the roadshows, permanent exhibitions have also been set up in local community facilities – and online – to enable people to view the plans.
The events are as follows:
Abercynon Plans|
View the plans and learn more about creating a new Community Primary School by closing Abercynon Infants, Abertaf Primary and Carnetown Primary, building a new school on the former site of Abercynon Infants the Continuing Education Centre. The interactive roadshow takes place between 9am and 7pm on October 19 at the Continuing Education Centre.
Alternatively, you can visit Abercynon Library| during opening hours to view the static exhibition until November 26.
Cwmbach Plans
Proposals are to create a new Community Primary School by amalgamating Cwmbach Junior, Infants and Nursery Schools, utilising and extending the existing accommodation at the junior school.
View them between 3.30pm and 7pm at the interactive roadshow at Cwmbach Primary School on October 20.
Alternatively, visit Cwmbach Library during opening hours to see the static display, on show until November 26.
Ynysboeth Plans
View plans and learn more about the scheme to create a new Community Primary School by amalgamating Ynysboeth Infants and Juniors schools during the roadshow being held at Bryncynon Feel Good Factory between 9am and 7pm on October 21. Alternatively, visit Bryncynon Feel Good Factory between 9am and 7.30pm Monday to Friday until November 26 to see the static exhibition.
Aberdare Plans
Proposals are to create a new Secondary School for Aberdare by closing Aberdare Girls’ School, Aberdare High and Blaengwawr Comprehensive with the pupils transferring to the new school. The new school would temporarily be based on the two sites of Blaengwawr and Aberdare High, with a view to relocation to a new site subject to funding announcements expected from the Welsh Assembly Government next year.
Join the interactive roadshows on November 16 and 17 and December 8. Open from 9am to 8pm at Sobell Sports Centre|.
Alternatively, visit the static display during opening hours at Aberdare Library| until December 31.
The groundbreaking plans are in a bid to create educational standards and accommodation fit for the 21st century, providing appropriate, modern and sustainable buildings within which future generations can learn and achieve.
The proposals aim to deal with the issues of surplus places and unsuitable, old-fashioned school buildings that currently affect Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Cllr Eudine Hanagan, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, said: “These are significant plans for the future of education, which we believe will deliver improved standards of accommodation and provision for our young people, in turn giving them better opportunities. We look forward to sharing them with the public.
“We are aware of the scale of the challenge we are taking on with the creation of these new schools, but truly believe our future generations deserve to be educated in modern, sustainable buildings that inspire them to succeed.
“At present, we are working hard, and making difficult decisions, to deal with a situation in which young people are in schools that have far from ideal accommodation and are carrying far too many surplus places.
“The number of surplus places means the Council is, in essence, funding the running costs of four empty secondary schools and 23 empty primary schools – money that could be spent providing further investment in the education of our young people.”
There will be the chance to air views and those who cannot attend the roadshows can also view all the information online via the schools consultation| pages.
At the end of the information and engagement periods, reports will be presented back to Cabinet, which will make a decision as to whether to proceed to the next stage, which is the publication of the Statutory Notice.
If this step is decided upon, the County Borough then enters into a two-month statutory consultation period. If, at the end of this period, there are no objections, work will begin in earnest to deliver the new schools.
If objections are received, the matter is referred to the Welsh Assembly Government for the final decision, which aims to make the final decision within six months of the date the Statutory Notice was first published by the Council
