Plans to split Ysgol Calon Cymru and create a Welsh medium all-through school at its Builth Wells campus have been pushed back.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet on Tuesday, October 14, senior councillors were expected to receive a report detailing comments made during the consultation on the proposal of splitting up Ysgol Calon Cymru.

The consultation took place between May 14 and July 2.

Essentially this uncoupling would be done in two distinct phases, which are supposed to be completed by 2029.

The Builth Wells campus would become a new Welsh medium four to 18 all-through primary and secondary school.

While the Llandrindod Wells campus would provide English medium education and continue under the Ysgol Calon Cymru brand.

The idea is to plug a gap in Welsh medium education provision at high school level in Radnorshire and the council has said that they would invest in the infrastructure at the sites.

Also, the report all but concedes that creating Ysgol Calon Cymru almost a decade ago was a mistake.

The report said: “The school was established in 2017 following the merger of Llandrindod High School and Builth Wells High School, as part of the council’s previous secondary school reorganisation programme.

“However, whilst the school is on an improvement journey, it has been apparent for a number of years that the two-site model is causing challenges in terms of the school’s ability to continue to improve.”

At the meeting, Council Leader, Cllr Jake Berriman (Liberal Democrat – Llandrindod North) said: “Item four on the agenda, which is regarding the transformation of Ysgol Calon Cymru, will be deferred for another week.

“I’ve already communicated this with one of the local members (county councillor) in the (school) catchment who have raised concerns regarding the timing of this report going out and they have accepted that.”

This means that the result of the consultation report will now be discussed at the next planned Cabinet meeting, which is set to take place next Tuesday, October 21.

During the consultation, 146 responses were received by the council.

Sections contained in the report deal with comments raised in support and rebut those against the proposal.

But an actual breakdown of those for, against or undecided on the proposal is not provided in the papers.

Education officers were recommending that cabinet proceed with the proposals by publishing a “statutory notice.”

This means that a further 28-day period to receive formal objections to the proposals will need to take place – this could happen in November.

Then in February the Cabinet would receive a report detailing the objections, before taking a final decision on whether or not to implement the proposals.