Campaigners aim to ramp up new school pressure

CAMPAIGNERS battling for a new school for 250 children with additional needs, disabilities and autistic spectrum conditions in Llanelli say they are stepping up their fight.

- IAN LEWIS Reporter

The Ysgol Heol Goffa Action Group is urging the 9,000-plus people who backed their demand for Carmarthenshire Council to build a new school to lobby the council's Plaid Cymru-led cabinet before a crunch decision is made.

The school has been told one of six options will be chosen by the cabinet before the end of June.

The action group, school governors, parents, Llanelli Town Council, and community leaders all want to see a “super-school” for Ysgol Heol Goffa built as soon as possible to cater for up to 250 pupils to replace the existing outdated and dilapidated school, which currently educates 129 children.

The Plaid and Independent county council coalition's decision to ditch a seven-year promise to replace Ysgol Heol Goffa sparked a furious backlash when the surprise announcement was made last year.

The action group is urging all the school's supporters to write, email or phone county council cabinet members, urging them to reverse the decision and come to the aid of Llanelli's most vulnerable and disabled children.

The new school was originally expected to cost around £10m, a figure which had risen to an estimated £17m by 2021. Last year, the council confirmed that the overall cost amounted to more than £30m.

Parents have protested, marched and gathered a petition urging Carmarthenshire Council to rethink its decision.