Council votes to discontinue Ysgol Llansteffan after months of opposition

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council has approved plans to close Ysgol Llansteffan, despite a sustained campaign by parents and community supporters to keep the village school open.

The decision was confirmed at a council meeting held today (Wednesday, March 4).

Under the plans, Ysgol Llansteffan will close on August 31, 2026, with pupils transferring to Ysgol Llangain from September 1. The existing catchment area currently served by Ysgol Llansteffan will also be absorbed into the Ysgol Llangain catchment.

Parents and guardians will still be able to apply for places at other schools in Carmarthenshire through the council’s usual admissions process.

The school was identified for closure under Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme, approved by Cabinet on November 18, 2024. Officials cited extremely low pupil numbers, a high number of surplus places, and financial pressures including a projected deficit budget.

Council leaders also noted that many children living within the school’s catchment area already attend other schools, limiting demand for provision in the village.

Cabinet Member for Education Cllr Glynog Davies said the decision had been difficult.

“The decision to close Ysgol Llansteffan is difficult for everyone involved and it is with sadness that this has been agreed,” he said.

“Following a robust process, the discontinuation of Ysgol Llansteffan will enable the school to combine with Ysgol Llangain to provide safer staffing, the wider sharing of the Welsh language among pupils and a more sustainable rural community.”

Campaigners’ concerns

The decision follows months of opposition from parents and campaigners who argued the case for closure was flawed.

The school’s Parent Teacher Association, supported by Welsh language campaigners, had urged councillors to delay the decision, saying important evidence remained unresolved. Campaigners also raised concerns about the language impact assessment used to support the closure proposal.

Parents argued that pupil numbers had recently increased and that projections used by the council were outdated. They said the school roll had risen earlier this year, challenging claims that numbers would remain extremely low.

During the consultation process, the council received more than 200 responses, with the majority opposing the closure. Residents raised concerns about transport arrangements, the potential impact on pupils’ wellbeing, and the effect on the wider village community if the school were lost.

Supporters of the school also argued that small rural schools play an important role in maintaining Welsh language use and community life, warning that once the village school is lost it would be unlikely to reopen.

Despite these objections, councillors ultimately approved the proposal, meaning Ysgol Llansteffan will close at the end of the summer term.

Counter-terror officers arrest man in Powys as part of national security investigation

THREE men have been arrested in Wales and London on suspicion of assisting Chinese intelligence services in the United Kingdom.

The arrests were made on Wednesday (Mar 4) as part of a counter-terrorism policing investigation being carried out under the National Security Act 2023, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.

Two of the suspects were detained in Wales, while a third man was arrested in London.

Police said the men are aged 39, 43 and 68.

The 43-year-old was arrested at an address in Pontyclun, while the 68-year-old was detained in Powys. A 39-year-old man was arrested in London.

Shocking links to Westminster

The Guardian has reported that one of the men arrested is the partner of a sitting Labour MP, while another is said to be the partner of a former Labour MP. Police have not confirmed the identities of the suspects.

Officers also carried out searches at a number of properties linked to the suspects, including addresses in Cardiff and East Kilbride in Scotland, as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Metropolitan Police said the arrests relate to suspected offences involving assisting a foreign intelligence service, believed to be connected to China.

In a statement, police emphasised that the operation is being handled by Counter Terrorism Policing, which is responsible for national security investigations in the UK.

Suspects in police stations

Officers confirmed the suspects remain in custody while enquiries continue.

Police also reassured the public that there is no immediate danger.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “There is no imminent or direct threat to the public.”

The National Security Act, introduced in 2023, created new offences designed to combat espionage, foreign interference and covert activity by hostile states operating in the UK.

The investigation is continuing.

THE LEADER of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer during heated exchanges in the House of Commons on Wednesday (Mar 4).

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Badenoch accused the government of prioritising welfare spending over defence investment and warned that Britain was failing to strengthen its military during a period of international instability.

She claimed the government had no credible defence investment plan, telling MPs the Prime Minister “doesn’t know what is going on on any policy” and simply reads prepared statements regardless of the question being asked.

Badenoch said the government’s spending priorities had left the country vulnerable.

“The truth is that because they spent money on welfare there is no defence investment plan,” she said.

“Because there is no defence investment plan they are not ordering enough missiles.”

The Conservative leader also attacked Labour’s energy policy, accusing the government of undermining the UK’s domestic energy security by restricting new North Sea oil and gas drilling.

She argued that doing so while importing energy from countries such as Norway made little sense during a period of geopolitical tension.

“At a time of geopolitical crisis, does it make sense to kill our oil and gas industry and give up that ready supply of energy?” she asked.

Responding, the Prime Minister defended the government’s approach and said ministers were working with allies and energy companies to safeguard supplies.

Starmer said the UK remained in close contact with international partners and industry leaders amid global instability.

He added that oil and gas would remain part of the UK’s energy mix for many years, but insisted that renewable energy was key to improving long-term energy security.

“If the last few days have taught us anything, it is that while we rely on international markets we are vulnerable to these changes,” he told MPs.

“That is why renewable energy, where we have our own independence and security, will take us off those markets.”

The exchanges became increasingly heated as Badenoch continued to criticise the government’s priorities on defence and national security.

She argued that the Prime Minister was “prioritising his job security over our national security.”

Starmer dismissed the criticism, telling the Commons he had spent the week “protecting British lives” and accused the opposition of failing to act in the national interest.

The clash came amid heightened international tensions and growing debate in Westminster about defence spending, energy security and the rising cost of living.