Opening of Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng to be delayed

19 December 2022

A new Welsh-medium primary school being built in north Powys will now open after the Easter holidays, the county council has said.

Powys County Council is building a new 150-place school for Welshpool's Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng. The new building will include early years and community facilities.

The innovative scheme for the new school combines the old and the new which will provide the pupils of Ysgol Gymraeg y Trallwng and the community of Welshpool with fantastic facilities whilst maintaining the presence of the iconic Ysgol Maesydre.

The old Grade II listed building will be refurbished to accommodate early years and community facilities and a new extension will be built to include a new school hall and classroom bases. The building will also be the first Passivhaus hybrid project in the UK.

Construction work began last November and was originally due to last 12 months.

However, the construction has slowed down due to supply chain issues which has delayed the project.

Following discussions with the senior leaders at Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng, it has been agreed that learners and staff will move into the new building after the Easter holidays.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: "We're naturally disappointed that the construction of the new school for Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng has been delayed due to supply chain issues, which are beyond the council's control.

"However, this has meant that the construction programme has had to be revised and a couple more months of building works are required.

"Once the building has been completed and handed over to the council there will be a transitioning period to ensure that school staff are familiar with their new school and that they have the necessary time to prepare it for their learners ready for the school's opening day."

Angharad Davies, Headteacher of Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng, said: "As a school, we are putting our children and staff first and decided to delay our move into the new building slightly to ensure that we have a smooth transition. Therefore, we will be moving into our new building after the Easter holidays.

"Although we are excited about our new school building, a new building does not mean an excellent education. Excellent education is the product of the people with it and around it. We have proven this at Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng not only in the last week but since we opened in 2017.

"Welsh-medium education in Welshpool is thriving and the new building will help us build on the excellent education we are already providing."