28 February 2023

A legal challenge over a decision to close a small school has been unsuccessful, Powys County Council has said.

The High Court considered a Judicial Review application to challenge the decision to close Cradoc C.P. School, which was made on Friday, 11 March, 2022.

The permission to apply for judicial review was refused by Mr Justice Lane.

The decision to close Cradoc C.P. School is part of the council’s Transforming Education plans for the Brecon catchment area, which would see a new primary school created by merging Cradoc with Mount Streets Infants School, Mount Street Junior School.

At the time of the decision, the target date for establishing the new primary school, which would operate on the three existing school sites was September 2023. However, a 12-month delay was agreed last December as the courts had still not considered the application for judicial review.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: Although this will be disappointing news for the Cradoc school community, the judgement shows that the Council followed the correct procedures that were in line with the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code when the original decision was reached.

“The council will now continue the implementation work to ensure that the new school on the three existing school sites is open from September 2024.”