Plans to Relocate Wrexham Primary School and Increase Capacity Set to Proceed

PLANS to relocate a Wrexham primary school and significantly increase its capacity look set to go ahead after only one objection was received.
Wrexham Council recently published a statutory notice setting out proposals to boost pupil spaces at St Mary’s School in Brymbo from 154 to 210.
The local authority also wants to move the school from its current base on Ael Y Bryn to a  new building on the old Brymbo Steelworks site to allow a possible further expansion to 315 spaces.
Officials said the changes were needed to meet an increased demand caused by new housing developments and address constraints at the existing school site.
Only one objection was received during the statutory notice period held between the end of April and early June this year.
It comes after one respondent accused the Church in Wales of “abandoning” the village following the sale of a local church and calling for the new primary school to be non-religious.
However, members of the council’s executive board are being asked to approve plans for the faith-based school when they meet next week.
Cllr Phil Wynn, Wrexham’s lead member for education, said in a report: “The current St Mary’s School site in Brymbo is placed on a steep hill with restricted parking, poor vehicular access and limited outside playground area.
“The school currently utilises a playing field situated 1km away from the building which pupils must access by crossing a busy road.
“The current school site is land locked, is unsuitable to meet the requirements for the new curriculum and the future predicted demand for school places in the village of Brymbo and the surrounding area.
“The former steelworks site at Kent Road, Brymbo, has now been secured by the council for the new school building. The new site is less than a mile away from the current school site.”
A total of 152 people took part in a previous consultation on the proposals, with around two thirds of those who responded reported to be in favour.
Land for the new school was owned until recently by Brymbo Developments Ltd, which has already built hundreds of homes on the old steelworks site.
Cllr Wynn addressed concerns about the religious nature of the school by highlighting that the church would be covering 15 per cent of the costs, with the Welsh Government providing the remaining amount.
He added any further expansion would depend on Section 106 money being paid by developers.
He said: “It is important that as a local authority, we ensure parents have a range of choice for schools that encompasses faith, Welsh medium, and English medium.
“There has been a faith-based school in the village of Brymbo since 1872. The school moved to its current location in 1972.
“There would be a significant impact if St Mary’s Brymbo no longer offered faith-based education, both in terms of the distance that parents would need to travel and in terms of potential increased transport costs.
“Despite concerns raised, the proposal to increase the capacity at St Mary’s Church School in Brymbo is the most effective use of resources available.”
Senior councillors will be asked to approve a phased increase of 30 pupils per year at the school when they meet on Tuesday (September 17, 2024).
The gradual rise would be start from September 2025, with a planning application for the new school expected to be submitted at a later date.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter