Bosses at Caerphilly County Borough Council have said they are becoming “increasingly frustrated” at the lack of progress to remove asbestos from Cwmcarn High School.
Acting chief executive Nigel Barnett met the school’s governing body on Thursday June 6 to outline options for work.
Governors met on Tuesday June 11 without reaching a decision and they have now informed the council they intend to meet again today (Monday June 17).
Mr Barnett said: “I would like to assure the school community that we are ready to move quickly as soon as a decision is made, but we are becoming increasingly frustrated by the school’s lack of progress and it now seems we must wait until next week for a decision to be made.
“Time is fast running out and I would urge the school leadership to take decisive action before we miss our window of opportunity to get the work done in time.”
Cllr Rhianon Passmore, cabinet member for education, said: “Pupils, parents and staff are understandably very concerned about the delay.
“The acting chief executive met the governors and gave clear assurances that the council would be able to deliver the works on time – as long as a decision was taken quickly as time scales are now critical.
“The education and wellbeing of the children is paramount, but unfortunately we are still awaiting a decision and time is running out if pupils are to return home to Cwmcarn for the start of the new term in September.”
Cwmcarn High School has hit back with a statement on its website citing its own frustration.
It reads: “Please be assured that the governing body is working very hard to find agreement with the council and has been extremely frustrated by the actions of the council.
“The governing body was twice ready to sign a copy of the grant Agreement provided by the council on May 16 and May 23.
“However, the council has continually introduced new and even more onerous terms and conditions, thus preventing the governing body from signing it.
“Part of these new conditions, added very late include the council pre-judging that £200,000 of remediation works is betterment and not fundable, even though the governing body has had representation from their contractors that this is not betterment.
“The council is also seeking to impose a new standard to measure fibres not used in any other schools and which no other school has been tested to or met.
“There are no legal requirements to meet these new asbestos limits insisted upon by the council. It is wrong that Cwmcarn has been singled out for this treatment to effectively delay the works happening then prevent the School being occupied.”
The statement concluded: “We do not understand why the council will not sign an earlier version of the grant agreement and can only conclude that their aggressive stance with press releases is to subject the school to detriment, as they did when they first agreed with Santia to close the school.”
Cwmcarn High School was closed on October 12 last year after a report by Santia Asbestos Management Ltd asked Caerphilly Council to consider whether school buildings should be demolished because of widespread airborne asbestos. Since then, the school’s pupils have relocated to the former Coleg Gwent campus in Ebbw Vale.
But a report published by the Health and Safety Executive laboratory (HSL) has said the original findings by Santia may have been overstated.
In April councillors agreed to spend £700,000 on asbestos removal and £300,000 on temporary classrooms.