A VILLAGE primary has been approved for closure by councillors who’ve also started steps to close a Welsh medium stream at another school.

Powys County Council’s cabinet agreed to start procedures to close Nantmel Church in Wales School at its Tuesday afternoon meeting where it was also agreed the Welsh stream at Ysgol Dolafon primary in Llanwrtyd Wells should close.

Councillors were greeted by campaigners opposed to the council’s intention to start a consultation on closing 30 pupil Nantmel Primary as they arrived for the Tuesday afternoon meeting.

Arwel Jones, the cabinet member for schools, said the council has proposed closing the school in December 2016 due to its low pupil numbers, surplus capacity and as maintaining it costs above the county average.

Rhayader Church in Wales School has been named as the receiving school for pupils from Nantmel.

The councillor has also blamed low pupil numbers for the proposed closure of Ysgol Dolafon’s Welsh stream from August, 2016. There are only nine pupils learning through Welsh at the school.

The council must now start consultation on its plans for both Nantmel and Llanwrtyd in January when it says "everyone will have an opportunity to express their views."

Ahead of the meeting the chairman of Nantmel’s governing body, Mike Hodgson said it is hoped to persuade the council a formal federation model between the school and Rhayader Church in Wales Primary could save it from closure.

Ysgol Dolafon’s governing body had declined to comment before the cabinet meeting took place.

The cabinet was also asked to publish statutory notices proposing the closure of the specialist centre for children with special educational needs at Crickhowell Primary School.

There are currently no pupils in the centre which it is proposed should close on March 31, 2016. The council consulted on closure during October and November.