Plans have been approved for a temporary building, which will provide classrooms during the £11.46 million rebuild of a Cwmbran school.

A new building will be built in the grounds of Maendy Primary School on Wayfield Crescent for a period of three years, providing students a place to learn while the main building is rebuilt and expanded.

The temporary building will be a two-storey portable cabin with six classrooms, two offices, a staff room, an intervention room and extra storage space. The building will also have a toilet.

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As part of the plans, a temporary car park will be provided to the east of the building and would provide 31 staff parking spaces, including two disabled spaces.

No concerns were raised by neighbouring residents to the school during the process of the planning application. 

A report on the plans says: “The proposed building is necessary to facilitate the wider re-development of the school site and would provide important facilities during the construction phase of the development.”

The plans to redevelop Maendy Primary School and expand it from 231 to 420 pupil places was approved by Torfaen council’s cabinet in October last year.

The new building is expected to be in place from September 2023.

Aside from the increase in pupil places, a 30-place nursery for three- and four-year-olds will also be created.

Funding for the project will be split between the Welsh Government and the council.

Welsh Government will fund 65 per cent – equating to £7.45 million – while the council will pay the remainder.

The expansion will help meet an expected increase in demand from 1,200 homes being built in South Sebastopol.

Concerns had previously been raised by the governing body of Pontnewydd Primary School who raised an objection to the school expansion.

The governing body asked for the new capacity to be limited to 360 places.

The governing body said it feared the plan will result in “significant, costly surplus capacity at Maendy”.

A planning application for the full school redevelopment has not yet been lodged with Torfaen County Borough Council.

However, the planning report for the temporary building says the applicant intends to submit the full application within the coming month.