TORFAEN council has decided to press ahead with the closure of Victoria Primary and Brynteg Nursery despite hundreds of objections being tabled.

A special cabinet meeting took place today to discuss the results of the objection period earlier this year and the ongoing judicial review lodged by a committee of parents.

But even after reviewing 770 objections to the plans to close the schools, the cabinet still decided to go ahead with the recommendations to close the school and nursery whilst extending Cwmffrwdoer and Garnteg Primary Schools.

Only Abersychan ward member, councillor Gwyneira Clark, voted against the recommendations after raising several concerns and questions to the head of education services, Dermot McChrystal.

Cllr Clark said: “I think the council are racing ahead with this decision and it’s important that everything is right, but this doesn’t feel right that we make a decision here and now without the outcome of the legal process.

“Are we not risking that we will waste precious tax payers money by doing this now, and considering the high level of public response, is this simple summary acceptable?”

Her words were met with applause from the public gallery several times.

Other concerns raised included the recent planning withdrawals at Cwmffrwdoer, the increased health and safety risks at peak times at Garnteg and Cwmffrwdoer as well as the council being able to fulfil its guarantee that all affected children will be able to move to a school of their choice.

Mr McChrystal said: “There has been a lot of change and a feeling of loss, what should be focused on is we are putting £8 million into education.

"No new real points emerged in the consultation, many of the objections were similar, raised time and again and I feel we have answered those points. We have taken legal advice and the judgement is already there.

“We need to keep to the timescale that is allowed by the guidelines otherwise we are putting million pounds of investment at risk. I don’t think the public would thank us for putting that level of investment at risk and it’s important that we protect it.”

The executive member for education David Yeowell said: “I understand Gwyneira’s concern of traffic congestion and we will do what we can but we need to comply with the school organisation code and deliver an £8million investment in the education of children in the north of the borough.

“Should our decision be upheld at the legal challenge, pupil transition plans are put in place to keep any disruption to teaching and learning to an absolute minimum.”

After the meeting, Cllr Wayne Tomlinson of Abersychan, who sat with Cllr Giles Davies in the public gallery to hear the cabinet's verdict, said: “What we have seen is that the council is pushing the decision through to meet the guidelines of the 21st century school programme, which need to go in by July 21. Like Gwyneira said, it is wrong to go ahead before the judicial review has met a conclusion.”