Village schools could face closure

Ysgol Betws-y-Coed

- By OWEN HUGHES Daily Post Reporter

THE village attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and has been named the best in the UK. But like many rural communities, Betws-y-Coed is struggling to hold on to young families.

With limited well-paid employment opportunities and a high number of holiday homes pushing up house prices, it can be hard for families to stay.

The resident population has fallen from 614 in 1991 to 477 in the last census.

Around one in five properties in the village is now a holiday let or second home.

This is now reflected in its school. Built for 100 children, it now only has 14 registered pupils after a steady decline in recent years.

It means the cost per pupil is £20,856, compared to the current average cost per pupil in the county of £5,148.