ESTABLISHING a new £6.65m Welsh medium school in the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock area is expected to get the thumbs-up at tomorrow’s February 27 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.

A consultation was recently held on establishing the new 3-11 Welsh medium primary school, replacing the current dual stream provision at Ysgol Gelli Aur/Golden Grove School.

A report before tomorrow’s meeting recommends that a statutory notice is published to establish a new 3-11 Welsh medium school serving the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock area, and all teaching at Ysgol Gelli Aur/Golden Grove is conducted in English.

The preferred site is adjacent to the new Ysgol Harri Tudor School, but other locations, including Lamphey, Pennar, and St Daniels Hill have been included.

The consultation was approved by council members at their meeting in July, following discussion on a report on the future of Welsh medium education in the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock area.

The report included findings of a recent survey which concluded there is a continuing demand for Welsh medium provision in the area. It also said that any expansion of provision would be best met in a new stand-alone Welsh medium school.

In September 2019, Welsh Government confirmed that funding of £5.9 million was available for a new 3-11 Welsh Medium Primary school with childcare provision in Pembroke, an addition to the council’s approved funding envelope from the 21st Century Schools Programme.

The project cost is projected to be £6.65 million, with Welsh Government consideration of the additional cost of the project ongoing.

A total of 336 responses were received, with 52.9 per cent supporting it.

Concerns raised include the proposal being “elitist and divisive,” and unnecessary while Gelli Aur has Welsh language provision, fears for the effect on Gelli Aur, and potential concerns about the favoured site.