Multi-million pound refurbishment plans for Pontypool primary school

Plans to transform a Torfaen primary school with a £4million investment were backed by Torfaen council at a cabinet meeting.At the meeting, councillors discussed a ‘business justification case’ which will be submitted to Welsh Government to fund works on Penygarn Community Primary School near Pontypool.Around £350,000 was invested into the site by the council after the closure of Pontnewynydd Primary school in 2014/15 and the council hope to secure £2 million funding from Welsh Government to continue the improvements. The application is part of the ’21st Century School Programme’, a partnership between the Welsh Local Government Association and Welsh Government.As part of the scheme, local authorities can receive 50 per cent funding on the overall cost of major refurbishment or construction works in the education sector.The proposed works at Penygarn Primary aim to improve the school from a B/C condition to a A/B grade condition with a list of features.These include library improvements, an ICT overhaul and refurbishments to the main hall, community areas and the school’s ‘Flying Start’ building.Remodelling work will also improve breakfast club access alongside work to improve external play areas, roofs, walls, windows, heating and electrical systems.Torfaen CBC estimate that the work will take around two years to complete.