Petition and protests fail to prevent closure of small rural school near Tegryn

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has voted to close Ysgol Clydau despite strong opposition from parents and residents who argued the rural school plays a vital role in the local community.

Councillors approved the closure at a full meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council on Thursday (Mar 5), following a consultation process that drew hundreds of responses and a community campaign to save the small rural school near Tegryn.

Addressing the chamber, Cllr Guy Woodham acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue.

“Any proposal to close a school is emotive,” he told councillors, noting that the report before members summarised consultation responses and the council’s responses to concerns raised by parents, residents and other consultees.

One of the most frequently raised issues during the consultation was the role the school plays in local identity and community life. Respondents argued that rural schools often act as a focal point for their communities and help sustain village life.

However, council officers said that while the school contributes to community identity, it currently hosts relatively few community activities. They pointed out that nearby Carnarvon Hall already provides a venue for a wide range of classes and events and could continue to do so if the school closes.

It was also suggested that the school building itself could potentially be used for community purposes if another organisation or group expressed an interest in taking it over.

Concerns were also raised about the potential impact on pupils with additional learning needs (ALN). Parents said the small size of the school provides a nurturing and personalised environment that may be difficult to replicate in a larger setting.

Council officers acknowledged those concerns but said pupils could also benefit from the wider range of resources, specialist staff and development opportunities available in larger schools.

A transition plan will be developed to ensure individual pupils’ needs are identified and supported during and after the move to another school.

Transport and travel times were another major concern raised during the consultation, with parents highlighting longer journeys for pupils and questioning the suitability of arrangements for younger children.

The council said pupils who meet eligibility criteria will receive free school transport, with routes and pick-up arrangements designed with safety and age considerations in mind.

Some respondents also argued that alternative solutions, including federation with other schools, had not been fully considered.

Officers said a number of alternative proposals were examined during the consultation process but were not considered viable.

Residents also raised concerns that planned housing development opposite the school could increase pupil numbers in the future.

However, council forecasts suggest the development would generate only around two additional pupils, which officers said would not significantly affect the school’s viability.

Some parents indicated they might consider home education if the school closes, particularly those with children who experience anxiety or require additional support.

The council said it would provide information and support to help families make informed decisions and ensure they are aware of Welsh-language education options available elsewhere.

Questions were also raised about the financial case for the closure and whether projected savings adequately accounted for increased transport costs and other factors.

Council officers said the financial assessment presented to councillors includes those additional costs.

Some respondents also questioned the fairness and transparency of the consultation process, suggesting the outcome had already been decided.

Officers rejected that suggestion, stating that the consultation had been carried out in accordance with the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code and that the final decision rested with councillors.

Pupils’ views were also gathered during the consultation through two sessions facilitated by a school improvement adviser, with responses recorded anonymously and included in the consultation report.

The proposal to close the school has been strongly contested over the past year. A petition opposing the closure received more than 600 responses on the council’s website, triggering a debate at County Hall, while campaigners warned the loss of the school would “pluck the heart out of the community”.

Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies previously criticised the proposal, describing Ysgol Clydau as a crucial part of the local community and warning that closure could have a significant impact on the area.

Council figures show pupil numbers at the school have declined in recent years, forming part of the authority’s wider review of education provision and surplus school places across the county.

Despite the concerns raised, councillors voted to approve the closure.

Further details about the timeline for the closure and arrangements for pupils currently attending Ysgol Clydau are expected to be confirmed by the council.

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council has approved its revenue budget for the 2026–27 financial year, including a council tax rise of 4.9% and spending reductions totalling £8.7m.

The increase is lower than the 6.5% originally proposed after a period of public consultation with residents, schools, businesses and other stakeholders across the county.

The reduction was made possible following a £5m saving in employer contributions to the Dyfed Pension Fund and additional funding from the Welsh Government.

Council tax accounts for around 17% of the authority’s income, while approximately 70% of the council’s net budget comes from Welsh Government funding.

Additional funding of nearly £6.5m was allocated to Carmarthenshire as part of an extra £300m released in the Welsh Government’s budget for health and local government.

According to the council, the funding has improved its financial position by almost £3m and removed a previously projected £3.5m budget shortfall.

The authority said more than 1,200 people took part in the consultation process, including residents, school staff, town and community councils, trade unions, scrutiny committees and young people.

As a result of the consultation and the improved financial position, the council said the final budget includes amendments worth £850,000 and reverses some previously proposed cuts.

Among the changes are the removal of £160,000 of planned reductions to highways spending and a decision to halve the proposed increase in school meal charges.

Plans to close the Pendine Outdoor Education Centre in the 2027–28 financial year have also been withdrawn to allow time for further feasibility work.

Proposed savings affecting the Families Together Team have also been removed from the budget.

The council says the final budget will also include additional investment in property maintenance, the modernising education team and further support for Welsh language provision in education, as well as extra funding for highways.

Cllr Alun Lenny, the council’s cabinet member for resources, said the final budget had been shaped by feedback from the consultation.

He said: “The budget strategy approved by full council responds to the valuable feedback raised as part of the public consultation process and ensures, as far as possible, that service levels and standards are maintained.”

The council said the final package attempts to balance maintaining essential services with the financial pressures facing local government.

A MAJOR new hospital development in West Wales has been put forward as part of Welsh Labour’s proposed £4 billion “Hospitals for the Future Fund”, with Senedd Member for Mid and West Wales Eluned Morgan saying the region deserves “safe, sustainable hospital care for the future”.

Speaking at Welsh Labour’s campaign launch on Monday, Morgan said that if the party is returned to power at the Senedd election in May, the fund would be used to modernise ageing NHS buildings across Wales over the next decade, with West Wales expected to form a key part of those plans.

The announcement comes amid strong public concern about the future of services at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. A petition calling for certainty over local hospital provision has attracted thousands of signatures, reflecting widespread anxiety about potential changes to healthcare services in Pembrokeshire and surrounding areas.

Morgan acknowledged the strength of feeling locally, saying she understood why many residents were worried.

“I know how much Withybush means to people. I’ve had the conversations. I’ve looked people in the eye who are worried about what the future holds for their local hospital,” she said.

“And I want to be honest with people – this isn’t simple. If it was, it would have been solved years ago.”

She said the challenges facing hospital services in West Wales go beyond the condition of existing buildings and include difficulties recruiting and retaining enough specialist staff to ensure safe care.

“Buildings matter. But what really matters is whether you can staff services safely,” Morgan said.

“Patient safety and timely care must always come first – not politics, not headlines. No other party has offered any realistic alternative which is deliverable, which is why I hope people in West Wales will endorse this new hospital.”

Morgan said she would like Hywel Dda University Health Board to revisit options for a realistic hospital proposal in light of the new funding commitment.

“In light of this new commitment, I would like the health board to look again at a realistic hospital proposal that delivers safe, sustainable services for the future,” she said.

“For too long, people in West Wales have heard talk of a new hospital without seeing it become reality. Plans were drawn up in the past, but after years of Tory cuts, especially to the capital budget, the funding simply wasn’t there to deliver them. That’s the truth.”

She argued that the situation may now have changed following the election of a UK Labour government.

“Today, we are in a different place. After 14 years of austerity, we are now working with a UK Labour Government that understands Wales and is prepared to invest in our public services,” she said.

“Real investment is now possible if Welsh Labour leads the next Welsh Government. This is about securing the future – modern facilities, safer care and services designed around patients and staff.”

Morgan also warned against relying solely on older hospital buildings if staffing levels cannot be maintained safely.

“What I won’t do is pretend that patching up buildings from another era is a long-term solution if we can’t staff them safely,” she said.

The proposed Hospitals for the Future Fund would form a central part of Welsh Labour’s long-term NHS strategy, aiming to combine infrastructure investment with workforce planning and clinical safety.

However, debate over the future of hospital services in West Wales is likely to continue. Campaigners in Pembrokeshire have repeatedly called for key services to remain at Withybush Hospital, arguing that long travel times to other hospitals could pose risks for patients in rural communities.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has previously explored options for reorganising services across the region, including proposals for a new hospital to serve multiple counties. No final decision has yet been taken.

With the Senedd election approaching, the future of hospital provision in West Wales is expected to remain a major political issue.