Issue - meetings

“With the recently announced development of Pontyberem school, please could the cabinet member provide the Council with start date for the development of Dafen School”.

“With the recently announced development of Pontyberem school, please could the cabinet member provide the Council with a start date for the development of Dafen School”.

The first thing I’d like to say is this, No councillors and indeed anyone else in this area has asked me for a meeting to discuss the situation at Ysgol Dafen. We’re all aware of the Welsh Government scheme the 21^st Century Schools and we, as a county, have benefitted considerably from it and we are very grateful for this funding. There are new schools throughout the county. Currently, we are completing work on those schools that were in Band A, contractors are currently at Ysgol Penrhos, Trimsaran, Coedcae, Pontyberem and Parc y Tywyn. Band B schools will be next, although we’re not entirely sure yet how much we will have to contribute and how much will come from the government that was a very heated discussion in Cardiff yesterday. That scheme will be implemented between 2019 and 2024 and, Sharen, Dafen is not even on that list but this year £175k has been spent on Dafen on a new roof and rewiring, £172k has been spent on the yards in order to meet with the Health and safety regulations and, I am told on good authority, that the Head of the school is very very happy with what we’ve done and he is grateful to us for what we have done. So, that’s the investment that has taken place. Please talk to the local member for Dafen he might have more information for you.

Councillor Davies asked the following supplementary question:-

Will the Executive Board Member for Education not agree that due to the proposed new builds within the Llynhendy, Bynea and Dafen area that Dafen school be considered as soon as possible for redevelopment due to this much needed refurbishment within this school. This will help provide not only the infrastructure for the school provision but, also for the education of those children.

Response by Councillor Glynog Davies, Executive Board Member for Education and Children:-

We have to adhere to a strict scoring procedure and that is how certain schools have been placed in Band A and others in Band B. But please, could you bring the evidence to me and I will definitely consider it and I will have words with my officer to see if there was, possibly, a mistake in the scoring system. But I will have a look at it but, we have to adhere to the scoring system.