Plans lodged for £9.1 million 'modern and innovative' special school
Plans for a new £9.1 million special school have been lodged with a council.
Powys County Council has made the application for a replacement school, ancillary buildings, a multi-use sports surface, landscaping, and associated works at land near Brynllywarch Hall special school, at Kerry near Newtown.
It says the new build would help provide specialist support and provision to pupils from eight- to 19-year-olds with challenging behaviour, emotional and social difficulties.
Agent Dylan Green of Asbri Planning Ltd in a planning statement says the school is currently housed within the Grade Two Listed Brynllywarch Hall.
“The mansion house dates from 1829 and is considered inadequate for modern education purposes due to its condition and arrangement. The new facility will provide a modern teaching environment, fit for the 21st century.”
The new school building would be single-storey with a capacity for 64 pupils in 11 classrooms.
As part of the development the school would have a breakout space, calming room, laundry, and hygiene facilities, together with an outdoor learning area which includes workshops and a potting shed.
Livestock from the existing school will be moved to the proposed compound at the western end of the site.
Mr Green said that the new school will “better equip teachers” to “tailor lessons” providing specialist support to meet the specific needs of Powys children and teenagers in a “modern and innovative” learning environment.
“The school will no longer be dependent on demountable accommodation which is currently dispersed across the site.”
Trees will be planted and when fully grown will screen the school from Brynllywarch Hall.
The case for the new school building was agreed by the previous Independent/Conservative cabinet in July 2020 as part of its Transformation Strategy for Education in Powys.
A combined Strategic Outline Case and Outline Business Case was then sent down to Cardiff for approval by the Welsh Government.
As part of the former 21st Century Schools Programme, now known as the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, the Welsh Government will fund 75 per cent of the of the school construction project with the remaining 25 per being funded by the council.
