PLANS to add a new primary school and nursery to the site of a Welsh medium secondary in Torfaen have been lodged with the council.

The £6.7million development – fully funded by Welsh Government – will see Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Trevethin, Pontypool, start taking pupils from the age of three in 2021.

A new 210-place, one form entry school will be developed on the site of the secondary school grounds, with nursery provision also being suggested as part of the scheme.

Under the plans the two-storey school will have provision on the lower level for nursery, reception and infants, providing them direct access to outdoor play areas.

Junior year classes, admin and the main hall will be located on the upper floor, as well as a separate childcare facility.

A variety of play areas will also be provided, including timber play equipment and grassed banks for natural play.

A MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) will be provided for organised sports play and a learning habitat area to teach pupils about wildlife and the natural world is also planned.

A road through the school site will be upgraded to allow for two lanes of cars, as well as two cycle lanes, to provide safe routes for pupils and staff.

A new turning area is proposed at the end of the road, creating a one-way system that allows cars to turn and exit without causing delays.

Free Press Series:

(An artist's impression of the new school. Picture: Morgan Sindall/ Torfaen council.)

The school will become the first in Torfaen to cater for children aged three-18 in the county borough.

A separate childcare facility will provide for 40 pupils aged 0-12, within three nursery rooms, serving as an independent facility but with a physical connection to the main building.

A design and access statement says the development will provide a “high quality educational facility for the campus and to the local community.”

“This will ensure future generations in the Pontypool and surrounding areas have a primary school for Welsh speakers, feeding directly into the adjacent secondary school,” the application says.

The extra provision is planned to open in September 2021 as a seedling school, initially with a nursery and reception class only and then growing each year.

Welsh medium primary school catchment areas will need to be changed as part of the plans.

Torfaen council’s cabinet has already given its backing to the project, subject to planning permission.