Welsh councils this month made decisions on school closures and openings, special school space, and school repairs, while budgets and additional learning needs (ALN) funding remained pressure points. Carmarthenshire, Powys, Merthyr Tydfil and Swansea took some of the main decisions.[7][8][4][2][5]
Written in November 2026 from council records since 20 September 2026, open consultations and official sources. Written automatically, then checked: every point names its sources and every figure appears in them. Follow the links to check anything before relying on it.
Councils run community schools, fund every state school, provide school transport and support pupils with additional learning needs. They plan school places, including Welsh-medium places under a ten-year plan.
The Cabinet decides on school changes, such as opening, closing or merging schools, after a formal consultation. Head teachers and governing bodies run each school day to day.
Proposals to change a school must be consulted on, and anyone can respond. Parents can also become school governors.
| Council | Items | With a decision |
|---|---|---|
| Powys | 102 | 75 |
| Carmarthenshire | 93 | 74 |
| Pembrokeshire | 67 | 60 |
| Swansea | 64 | 41 |
| Flintshire | 63 | 48 |
| Cardiff | 53 | 50 |
| Caerphilly | 53 | 0 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 52 | 46 |
| Monmouthshire | 48 | 12 |
| Ceredigion | 44 | 38 |
| Gwynedd | 43 | 38 |
| Newport | 43 | 22 |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 42 | 28 |
| Conwy | 40 | 36 |
| Neath Port Talbot | 39 | 28 |
| Wrexham | 36 | 32 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 29 | 24 |
| Blaenau Gwent | 27 | 25 |
| Denbighshire | 22 | 17 |
| Bridgend | 18 | 0 |
| Torfaen | 10 | 7 |
Decided: The committee approved the application with conditions, including a five-year time limit, approval of final materials and colours, and a Welsh name for the school. Other conditions cover transport, archaeology, landscaping, biodiversity, external lighting, public protection, Welsh Water, Natural Resources Wales, construction working hours and Welsh-language signs.
Decided: The meeting approved the appointment of school governors, as listed in the agenda pack.
Decided: Council agreed that the Independent Group would give up its Chair of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to the Conservative Group.
Decided: The Council confirmed the nomination of the local authority representatives on the governing bodies of the relevant schools.
Decided: The Council set the share of committee seats for each political group and appointed members to committees as the groups had nominated. It also appointed councillors to outside bodies: the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and its Executive Board, SACRE (the standing advisory council on religious education), and the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. Where more councillors were nominated than there were seats, a ballot decided the appointment.
Decided: The Cabinet approved giving public notice of its plan to make permanent Traffic Regulation Orders (legal orders that set traffic rules) for the restrictions in Appendix A, subject to consultation with road users. If no objections are received, the orders would be made. If objections are received, a report would go to the appropriate committee.
Decided: Council authorised the Director of Education to publish a statutory notice to discontinue Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and establish it as a 3-11 Community School. The vote was 34 for, 16 against and 2 abstentions.
Decided: The petition was noted and referred to the Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Net Zero Working Group for further consideration. The vote was carried with 51 votes for and none against or abstaining.
Decided: Council authorised the Director of Education to start the school organisation process to establish a 24-place Learning Resource Centre at Milford Haven Community Primary School. The vote was 53 for and none against.
Decided: Council authorised the Director of Education to start the school organisation process to establish a new 3-11 Welsh medium primary school in Milford Haven. The vote was 51 for, none against and 1 abstention.
Decided: Council approved the revised governance arrangements for the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. The vote was carried with 52 for and none against or abstaining.
RESOLVED to agree to: · adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the municipal year as set out in Appendix A, together with the adoption of the seat allocation and senior salaries set out in the appendix. · delegate authority to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees based on political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups. · adopt the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees based on political balance as follows: o Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group o Communities Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group o Care Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group
Decided: Members were appointed to special and ad hoc bodies, including the Gwent Public Service Board, the consultation with trade unions and the education forums.
Decided: Councillors were appointed as the Council's representatives on a long list of outside bodies, from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to the South Wales Fire Authority.
Decided: Councillor Gareth A. Davies's appointment as a local authority governor at Willowtown Primary School was endorsed. The minute notes that the Housing and Homelessness Strategy Working Group has been disbanded.
Agreed – this will be added to the schools’ outturn and budget report 2 That consideration be given to improving the clarity of reporting on budget virements, how they were presented and aggregated, as the current format made it difficult to understand the overall financial picture where numerous small movements were listed. Agree – we will review the presentation of budget virements in future finance reports.
Decided: The Committee agreed that the Chair would write to the Cabinet Member with its comments and observations before Cabinet considers the report.
Decided: The Committee granted permission in line with the officer recommendation. The vote was 17 for and none against.
Decided: Cabinet approved starting consultation on closing Saltney Ferry Primary School and Saltney Wood Memorial Primary School, and on opening a new 3-11 community primary school. The new school would start on the two existing sites, then move to a single new site for the Saltney community. If the proposal is approved after the statutory process, the change would take effect by September 2027.
Decided: Cabinet noted the report and the Diocese's reasons for the proposal. It approved starting consultation on closing St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, St David's Catholic Primary School, St Mary's Catholic Primary School and St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, and on opening a new 3-18 all-through school (an age 3 to 18 school). If the proposal is approved after the statutory process, the change would take effect by September 2027.
Decided: Cabinet welcomed the assurance that there was no evidence to support the allegations in the notices of motion.
Decided: The Board noted the feedback in the objection report. It gave officers approval to proceed with the proposal to close Froncysyllte Community Primary School from 31 August 2026, or sooner if pupil numbers fall to zero.
Decided: The Board noted the update on the new provision, which is due to open from September 2026. It recognised the appropriation, or transfer between council departments, of the car park at the former Opportunities Centre from Economy & Planning to Education, on terms still to be negotiated. It asked the Chief Officer Governance & Customer to formally record the appropriation.
Decided: The Board approved officers consulting on the proposal to establish a new provision in Gwersyllt for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN). It also asked for a further report in September 2026 with the consultation feedback and a preferred way forward.
Decided: The Committee unanimously agreed to receive the report. The minute records no other decision.
Decided: The Committee unanimously agreed to receive the report. The Music Service Manager agreed to circulate data on learners taking formal music qualifications.
Decided: The Committee unanimously agreed that the update be noted. It also asked for further information at a future meeting on the fall in pupils entering sixth form, and the Principal of Coleg Sir Gar will be invited to a future meeting.
Decided: The Committee unanimously agreed to recommend to Cabinet that the proposal be endorsed. The proposal is to move the school to a new site and raise its capacity to 150 from September 2029.