City centre land considered for new Cardiff Welsh-medium school

Campaigners for a new Welsh-medium secondary school in south Cardiff have welcomed news that the local council asked the previous Welsh government for city centre land as a potential site.

Labour Senedd member, ex-Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas, revealed he asked ministers earlier this year for government-owned land in Callaghan Square.

Thomas said he had a "positive response" from the finance minister at the time, Mark Drakeford, before Plaid Cymru ousted Labour from power in May's election.

Campaigners called the news a "momentous development" towards creating Cardiff's fourth Welsh-medium secondary school.

The council said it is in the early stages of developing "long-term options".

Questioning Education and Welsh Language Minister Anna Brychan, in the Senedd on Tuesday, Caerdydd Penarth MS Thomas said "the city is considering how a fourth Welsh-medium secondary school can be opened".

"Earlier this year, I received a positive response from the minister for finance at the time, Mark Drakeford, to my request asking the Welsh government to provide the land that it owns on Callaghan Square to Cardiff Council as a possible site for this new school.

"Can I have confirmation today from you that that proposal still stands under this new government?"

Brychan has lived in Grangetown in south Cardiff for over 25 years and supported the campaign in the past.

She replied: "I'm aware that I need to be very careful in terms of making statements on issues relating to allocating school places, just in case those are issues that ministers have to comment on in due course.

"So, rather than committing a breach in my first ever oral statement, could I please ask him for patience so that I can check to what extent I can go into detail on the question that he raised around a fourth Welsh-medium school in Cardiff?"

Asked on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Wednesday about the potential to earmark the site for the school, Brychan elaborated.

"The difficulty I'm grappling with is that I'm also the local member for Caerdydd Penarth, this is obviously an area in which I'm interested, but as cabinet minister I'm also aware that if there are any issues pertaining to schools, which is obviously a decision for local authorities, they could then be subject to a determination by Welsh ministers.

"That is a process I'm keen not to contravene in my first weeks in office. But I'm interested, obviously in the development of the Welsh language."

She added: "We have an ambitious target that 50% of our learners will be learning through the medium of Welsh by 2050.

"That requires expansion across all 22 local authorities in Wales, and I will be following progress towards that with considerable interest and care."

On behalf of the Ysgol De Caerdydd (Cardiff south school) campaign, Catrin Dafydd said the communication between Thomas and Drakeford showed "there is agreement over the need for a fourth Welsh-medium secondary school, and for locating it right at the heart of the most multicultural communities in Cardiff and Wales: Butetown, Grangetown and the surrounding area".

"To establish Ysgol De Caerdydd right at the heart of the community will be a clear symbol of the new Wales, ensuring that the Welsh language is accessible at community level for all of us."

Also from the campaign, Eshmael Palmer added: "The location of Callaghan Square offers clear potential for active travel with children and young people in the area being able to cycle and walk to school.

"It's vital that Welsh-medium nursery and primary provision is part of this development so that Welsh-medium primary education is available to Butetown families on their doorstep.

"It's also crucial that the development forms part of a community campus that will provide not only the school but also first-class facilities for the wider community."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "Local authorities are responsible for planning and delivering school places, including Welsh medium provision in line with their statutory Welsh in Education Strategic Plans.

"Any proposal for a new school would need to be taken forward by the local authority in line with the School Organisation Code, including formal consultation with local communities.

"We are unable to comment on the merits, or otherwise, of any school organisation proposal which may later be referred to ministers for determination."

A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said it "remains committed to expanding Welsh-medium education across the city and is proud of the strong progress made in growing provision over the past decade and more".

They added: "The council is in the early stages of developing strategic, long-term options for future Welsh-medium secondary school provision.

"The local authority is actively engaging with parents, learners, staff and the wider community, and listening to this feedback will help shape future proposals."