Concerns raised over consultation process as governors’ community hub proposal gains attention

CYMDEITHAS YR IAITH has criticised Carmarthenshire County Council’s proposal to close Ysgol Meidrim, describing the move as an “illogical conclusion” and questioning whether the statutory presumption against closing rural schools has been properly applied.

The campaign group issued a formal response to the consultation, arguing that local authorities are required to begin any review of a rural school by seriously considering how it can be sustained and developed, with closure considered only as a last resort.

Speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith locally, Ffred Ffransis said: “Nobody could understand why the council would come to the illogical conclusion of wishing to close a school which Estyn said was improving educationally, where pupil numbers were increasing, where the school served as the Welsh-medium heart of the community, which acted as a safe haven for pupils with additional learning needs, and where the council would save almost no money at all by closing it.

“However, when we followed the initial stages of the consultation process, it became clear that officials were treating all rural schools under review as problems from the start, and data was collected to back up the preconception. In presenting the legislation to the Senedd in 2018, the then Secretary for Education, Kirsty Williams, emphasised that proposing closure of a rural school should always be the ‘last resort’, but it is now being treated as the solution of choice.”

He added that the organisation welcomed signs the council was taking seriously an alternative proposal from the school’s governors to develop a costed community hub alongside the school, working in cooperation with neighbouring schools.

Council response

Carmarthenshire County Council has previously stated that it has a statutory duty to review school provision to ensure education is delivered in suitable facilities and remains sustainable for the future. The authority says proposals are developed following detailed assessments, including pupil numbers, building condition, financial considerations and long-term viability.

The council has also confirmed that consultation responses, including alternative proposals, will be considered before any final decision is made by elected members.

The consultation process remains ongoing.

Residents invited to help shape five-year strategy before March deadline

PEMBROKESHIRE residents are being invited to share their views on how the Welsh language should be promoted across the county over the next five years, as part of a new consultation launched by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The draft Welsh Language Strategy 2026–31 sets out the council’s proposed objectives, targets and action plan for increasing the use and visibility of Welsh locally. The authority is required to produce a five-year plan under the national Welsh Language Standards framework.

An Integrated Impact Assessment has also been published alongside the draft strategy, outlining the potential effects on the Welsh language and other policy areas. Council officials say the information will help residents respond to the consultation questions.

Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Cllr Guy Woodham said: “This Welsh Language Strategy focuses on developing the use and visibility of the Welsh language across the county and is supported by our Welsh in Education Strategy.

“Please take the chance to have your say on how we support the Welsh language over the next five years.”

Residents can submit their views through the council’s Have Your Say webpage. Paper copies are also available by contacting the council’s customer contact centre.

The feedback gathered during the consultation will be used to help councillors decide the final version of the Welsh Language Strategy 2026–31. Cabinet is expected to consider the responses at a meeting in July 2026, with a final decision due to be made by full council later the same month.

The consultation closes at 5:00pm on Sunday, March 22.

Report warns staff shortages and funding pressures are leaving planners stuck in “firefighting mode”

PLANNING departments across Wales are struggling to cope after more than a decade of funding cuts, with staff shortages and increasing workloads leaving services stuck in “firefighting mode”, according to a new report.

The research, published by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru, says real-terms funding for local authority planning teams fell by 43% between 2009 and 2024, despite growing legislative complexity and policy demands.

The Welsh Government’s own Planning Division has also reduced significantly, falling from around 60 planners in 2015 to 33 in 2024.

Pressure across the system

The report highlights widespread staffing pressures across Wales. It found that 73% of local planning authorities have at least one unfilled vacancy, while all respondents said they were focused on managing immediate pressures rather than delivering long-term improvements.

Researchers estimate there is an immediate need for 161 planners, 15 specialist officers and five business support staff simply to address known vacancies and upcoming retirements. Around 95 planners aged over 55 are expected to retire soon, and 42% of the public-sector planning workforce could retire within the next ten to 20 years.

RTPI Cymru warns that skills shortages, low morale and limited capacity are already affecting the ability of planning services to respond effectively to housing, infrastructure and economic development needs.

Funding and reforms

The Welsh Government has acknowledged the resourcing challenge and announced measures in 2025, including a £9m investment across planning bodies and increases in planning fees aimed at moving towards full cost recovery. Funding has also been provided to support graduates entering the profession through the Pathways to Planning scheme.

However, the report cautions that without ring-fencing, higher planning fees could be absorbed into wider council budgets rather than reinvested directly into planning departments.

RTPI Cymru has made several recommendations, including creating a national Planning Improvement Service, developing a workforce recruitment and retention strategy, and exploring new approaches to specialist service delivery.

Calls for sustained investment

Mark Hand, Director of RTPI Cymru, said: “It is encouraging to see renewed investment in planning after years of decline, but this report makes clear that the system remains under severe strain and significantly more investment is needed.

“After more than a decade of underfunding, planners are still being forced to firefight rather than plan proactively for Wales’s future. If we are serious about delivering homes, infrastructure and sustainable places, sustained additional funding is essential.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said the findings confirmed that Wales does not currently have enough planners and specialists to provide an efficient service in every case, but stressed that similar challenges are being faced across the UK.

They added that implementing the recommendations would require “concerted and collaborative action across the public sector, professional bodies, and academic institutions”.

An anonymous respondent from a Welsh local authority told researchers the core issue was not the planning system itself but “chronic underfunding, under-resourcing and under-investment”.

The report argues that addressing those underlying problems will be essential if Wales is to deliver new homes, infrastructure and sustainable communities in the years ahead.