Labour calls over school closures rejected

June 20 2005
Robin Turner, Western Mail

Labour councillors on Swansea Council have had their formal challenge to plans to shut three schools in the city turned down.

The opposition councillors wanted to 'call in' plans to close Dylan Thomas Community School, Garnswllt Welsh Medium Primary and Bryn Nursery in Townhill.

Labour leader David Phillips said, 'Under council procedures for scrutinising Cabinet decisions, the calling in of the plans would have meant they would have been looked at again.

'But in just over a day the challenge was rejected. The Liberal Democrat-led coalition could not have had time to look at our submissions.'

Deputy Labour leader, councillor June Burtonshaw added, 'This is a matter of great public interest.

'The proposals are not about what is best for our children and their education, but all about selling off school land and buildings.

'My colleagues and I believe they are simply wrong and more importantly our children deserve better.'

She continued, 'I believe there are more members opposed to this decision than there are in favour of it and by calling it in we sought to provide all members with an opportunity to examine and question the decision.'

Councillor John Miles, Labour's education spokesman, said, 'Piecemeal closing of schools and selling them off is not the answer.

'We need to see the whole picture and all the options, not just the ones that the Lib-Dems find politically acceptable. They need to come clean and give us and people in Swansea all the facts.'
Parents will gather at Dylan Thomas Community School in Cockett, Swansea tonight to discuss plans to fight the proposed closure of the school.

Swansea City and County Council's cabinet member for education Mike Day has made it clear the closure proposals have been forced on the authority by falling pupil numbers.
He said, 'The school in Garnswllt for instance will have less than five pupils in a few years time according to projections.

'And it is estimated Dylan Thomas School will have under 400 pupils in the next few years.
'We cannot expect people in Swansea to pay for empty classrooms.'

He added no decisions would be made until the views of parents had been taken fully into account.