Work to start on school

Two years behind the original schedule work on the long-awaited new school will begin in the New Year following approval by Brecon Beacons National Park Authority on November 17.

It will be built to last 60 years and will replace the now rotting existing building, constructed in the 1970s as a temporary measure.

Drawings from architects, Powell Dobson, the firm working on the scheme with construction and building services experts, Willmott Dixon, were spread in the school hall on Tuesday evening last week, November 22, for inspection.

They reveal a build with a 1,681 metre square floor space, making it almost twice the size of the existing 885 metre sq school. Part of the brief was to provide 210 pupil places.

It’s to be a single storey structure on the existing school site and is based around a “street” teaching and learning concept.

A six-metre wide street flanked by classrooms will run the length of a teaching wing, providing a light and airy shared, multi-use, flexible space.

It’s one of the design features that particularly excites the school’s new head, Alexine Bartholomew, known as ‘Mrs B.’

“The street will be a fantastic space for the school to circulate. We can do what we want with it. The school build is standardised but internally we can personalise and organise the space,” said the head.

She added: “There will be a budget for furniture and IT equipment. We will really be able to enhance our ICT equipment. All classes will have a touch-screen board. We purchased those in my previous school and they were amazing.”

An entrance lobby and reception area will be sandwiched between the teaching wing and a wing housing a much bigger school hall and a kitchen with separate storage rooms for PE equipment, a stage and chairs and tables.

Adjoining the hall but with a separate entrance for the public will be a 105 metre square new community room, to replace the now demolished community building in Oxford Road, a new 52 square metre public library, loos and a tea making area.

Solar photovoltaic panels appear on drawings for the hall roof.

Mrs B described the hall and community wing as “well thought out” with secure entrances for the school and public but with internal doors to allow the whole space to be used at once.

She’s delighted too that the heated swimming pool in the school grounds will also be saved.

To its south will be a new grass sports pitch. There will be a mixed use games area and pupils will also be able to use the sports fields off nearby Forest Road.

“The wildlife garden we might have to move but because of the footprint of the site it can be made better and enlarged,” she said.

The Willmott Dixon and Powell Dobson team is currently developing three primary schools for Torfaen County Borough Council, designed on the same street model.

Mrs B, together with the heads of Clyro, Llyswen and Llangorse and the head of a new school in Talgarth to replace Talgarth and Bronllys primary schools, which have all now received planning permission for new schools, will visit Torfaen in the New Year to see how their new buildings might be managed.

Gareth Jones, Powys’ senior manager for Central Services, was at Hay School last Tuesday to explain the plans.

He said planning had been “a long time coming” but was he was “very happy that the planning has gone through for the five schools.”

He added: “I am looking forward to commencement on building in the New Year.”

The existing school building will continue to be used while the new school is being built.

The 2.2ha site for development includes the public car park which will be marked out to a revised layout to provide a school drop off area.

Reorganised school grounds will include a 30-space parking area for teachers and visitors.

The project for the five schools involves an investment of £23.75 million and forms part of the Powys 21st Century Schools Programme, a capital investment programme involving a collaboration between the Welsh Government, Welsh Local Government Association and local authorities.