(Title Image: Paul Alexander via Save Our Fields Group)
Bridgend Council is set to officially drop plans to build a new Welsh-medium school and sports facilities on fields near Archdeacon John Lewis school in Brackla.
A report on the controversial feasibility study which triggered the “Save Our Fields” campaign – and a debate on holding local referendums on major planning decisions – is due to be discussed by BCBC’s Cabinet next week (pdf).
The site was shortlisted due to the fact it’s close to the pre-existing Ysgol Bro Ogwr and is located in a densely populated area.
In summary, the feasibility study found:
- The school would require significant “cut and fill” earthworks which would generate large amounts of construction traffic, affecting neighbouring schools and road safety.
- The cost of earthworks, retaining walls and providing an access road (to the side of Archdeacon John Lewis School) are “substantial”. There were also concerns about the impact the junction for the access road would have on the road network.
- A major water attenuation storage system would be needed to deal with run-off.
- The school would need to be split level, requiring a costly bespoke design instead of the “off the shelf” modular-like design local authorities currently prefer to use.
- Groundwork investigations found low levels of mercury in the soil which don’t pose a risk to current users of the field but would add to construction costs in order to deal with it.
Officers recommend that BCBC’s Cabinet reject the Brackla site and to approve exploration of alternative sites for a replacement school.
