A Powys councillor has accused the county council of betraying the Cradoc community amid new proposals that could see the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan close ahead of the move to a new school building in Brecon.

The proposal will be considered by Powys County Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday (October 14), and recommends that the Cradoc site closes from August 31 2026. Pupils would then be taught at the school’s other sites in Brecon until the new purpose-built campus on the former Brecon High School site is completed.

According to the Cabinet report, the Cradoc campus has seen a sharp decline in pupil numbers, falling from 71 in September 2024 to 39 in September 2025, with a further drop to 32 expected by September 2026.

The report says the proposal would allow for a “more consistent educational offer,” reduce surplus places, and “improve collaboration” between staff, while also saving on maintenance, leadership, and administration costs.

Cllr Iain McIntosh (Reform UK – Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew) described the plan as “the final betrayal by the Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors who run this authority,” accusing them of breaking election promises to keep the school open.

“It’s a betrayal of parents, children, teachers, and our entire community. Not only did they break their promise to keep our school open, they are now considering closing the Cradoc campus early,” he said.

Cllr McIntosh claimed that a series of council decisions, including the withdrawal of wraparound care and the removal of outdoor play equipment, had contributed to falling pupil numbers at Cradoc, creating “the pretext for early closure.”

He also alleged that several parents had removed their children from the school following the loss of wraparound care, and crucially, the previous provider had offered a solution to continue the service but was told this was not possible. The Brecon & Radnor Express has seen correspondence from the previous wraparound care provider, showing efforts were made and a potential solution was offered to continue the service at the school.

“These decisions directly contributed to falling numbers,” he said. “It is clear to me that the school has been deliberately run down, to encourage parents to move their children elsewhere and to make early closure appear inevitable.”

Cllr McIntosh also questioned the accuracy of the school’s official capacity figure of 175 pupils, which he argues is higher than the true usable capacity. He said the figure “misled” councillors during the earlier decision to merge Cradoc with Mount Street Infants and Mount Street Juniors.

He added that he had recently secured a £5,000 grant to improve play facilities at the Cradoc site, along with a personal contribution matching the pay rise awarded to councillors last year.

In addition to questioning capacity figures, Cllr McIntosh has raised concerns about the council’s handling of the early closure proposal. He says governors were given just 1 hour and 23 minutes to respond to the proposal before a council press release was issued, leaving them no realistic opportunity to meet or form a position. Governors were reportedly told any decision on early closure would be for their consideration, but the Cabinet is now set to consider the item before they have been able to respond.

Cllr McIntosh has asked for the item on next week’s Cabinet meeting agenda concerning Cradoc to be removed or deferred until the school is remeasured and governors have adequate time to respond. He has also written to the Welsh Minister for Education requesting an independent review of Powys County Council’s handling of the Cradoc closure process.

A spokesperson for Powys County Council confirmed that Cabinet will consider the proposal next week.

“Cabinet will be considering a proposal regarding the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan on Tuesday," they said.

"If Cabinet approves the recommendation, the statutory process set out by the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code will be followed.”

On the issue of wraparound care, the council said the breakfast and after-school clubs previously operating at Cradoc were privately run and not funded by the authority.

“The breakfast club and after-school club at Cradoc ended at Easter 2025. The school explored whether it would have been possible to provide wraparound provision on the Cradoc campus, but this was found to be unviable,” the spokesperson said.

In a written response to a question about capacity concerns submitted earlier this year, former education cabinet member, Cllr Pete Roberts, said the official figure of 175 pupils was based on Welsh Government guidance. He added that officers would visit the site to check whether this figure remains accurate given falling pupil numbers.