Plans which could see a Caerphilly school rebuilt, a primary school merger in Nelson and a new pupil referral unit in Pontllanfraith have been backed by senior councillors.
The plans are part of the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme, formerly known as 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme.
All three proposals were approved by the council’s cabinet on Wednesday, January 26. They will be jointly-funded by the council and the Welsh Government.
What is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet?
A council’s cabinet is made up of councillors in charge of different policy areas – such as education, environment, local economy, etc – and a leader.
It is separate to the council’s corporate management structure, which is headed up by its chief executive and various directors. Cabinet is made up of councillors, who are elected and have the ultimate say.
Typically, cabinet members are councillors from the party with the most elected council members.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet is made up of:
- Cllr Sean Morgan (Nelson) – Leader
- Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) – Deputy Leader; Prosperity, Regeneration and Climate Change
- Cllr Nigel George (Risca East) – Corporate Services and Property
- Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) – Finance and Performance
- Cllr Carol Andrews (Gilfach) – Education and Communities
- Cllr Shayne Cook (Morgan Jones) – Housing
- Cllr Elaine Forehead (Van) – Social Care
- Cllr Philippa Leonard (Risca East) – Planning and Public Protection
- Cllr Chris Morgan (Machen and Rudry) – Waste, Leisure and Green Spaces
Corporate management is made up of unelected employees of the council and has responsibility for day-to-day management of services, such as making sure the bins are collected. Corporate directors work with cabinet members to come up with policy which is then agreed upon by the cabinet.
Last updated October 13, 2023
The proposals will now be decided by the council’s planning committee.
As part of the proposals, Llancaeach Junior School in Nelson will be merged with Llanfabon Infants School.
A new building will be built to accommodate the junior school pupils, while the existing Llanfabon Infants School building will be refurbished.
Council leader Philippa Marsden praised the “practical nature” of the proposal, and added that combining the schools would make it easier for parents.
If approved, the project is expected to be completed by September 2024.
Meanwhile, a new “state of the art” building will replace the existing Playsfelin School building in Churchill Park, Caerphilly.
The new “fit for purpose” school will be built on the current school grounds. It will have 420 places for school pupils and 40 nursery places – the expected completion date would be September 2024.
Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Property, praised the plans and the aim to become a net zero carbon school.
Elsewhere, the new pupil referral “centre of excellence” will be built on the site of the former Pontllanfraith Comprehensive School and will accommodate between 80 and 120 pupils. If approved, it is expected to be completed by September 2023.
As ward councillor for Pontllanfraith, Cllr Colin Gordon, who is also the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said he was “extremely happy” with the proposal – especially because the new indoor and outdoor facilities will be available for community use outside of school hours.
Cllr Marsden said the referral unit would provide “stability and the right ethos and learning environment” for the children.
The public were consulted on all three proposals.
Traffic concerns raised in the consultation will be addressed in the planning applications of the developments.
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