A Senedd member has warned that Powys County Council’s plans for larger “area schools” could lead to further rural school closures.

Iain McIntosh, MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, raised concerns after the council confirmed that several existing primary schools could potentially be brought together in future under the area school model.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills scrutiny committee earlier this month, the council’s Head of Transforming Schools, Marianne Evans, said the approach could involve “merging three, four or five schools together” into a single area school.

Ms Evans said the council’s current Strategic Outline Programme for school building projects included references to area primary schools linked to catchment reviews. She said the issue was that as primary schools close, those designated to take in pupils from the closed schools can become full.

Mr McIntosh said the plans should “set alarm bells ringing” in communities with small rural schools.

“Merging three, four or five schools into one building would inevitably mean closing existing schools and removing education from the villages they serve,” he said.

He also criticised the council’s Liberal Democrat leadership, saying the party had campaigned in the 2022 local elections on a promise to keep rural schools open.

Schools including Llanfihangel Rhydithon, also known as Dolau, Llanbedr Church in Wales School and the Cradoc campus have since closed, with further closures planned.

“When a rural school closes, we do not simply lose a building,” said Mr McIntosh.

“We tear the heart out of a community, disrupt children’s education and force families into longer journeys.

“People will rightly ask why they should trust another word the Liberal Democrats say about protecting rural schools.”

He called for details of affected schools and catchments, educational evidence for the proposed mergers and full consultation with affected communities.