AMBITIOUS plans to develop a new Welsh-medium primary school in Newport have been revealed.

Newport council has announced plans for a fourth Welsh-medium primary, which would increase the current number of Welsh-medium primary school places across the city by 50 per cent.

Under the plans the primary will open as a seedling school, temporarily located within the vacant infant building at Caerleon Lodge Hill from September 2020.

It will then take up its permanent home at the current site of Pillgwenlly Primary School in September 2022, following a £3million refurbishment, as a two-form entry primary school with an immersion unit and learning resource base.

The plans will see Pillgwenlly Primary relocated to a new facility on the former Whiteheads steelworks site, off Mendalgief Road in Pill, in early 2022.

Almost £6m of Welsh Government cash will be invested in the new Welsh-medium school and two other schools in the west of the city.

It comes after the council made a commitment to expand primary provision in its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), which was formally approved by Welsh Government last year.

Council leader, Cllr Debbie Wilcox, said: "Basing the new school in Pill would meet a demand in this area of the city.

"We have also seen excellent examples of thriving Welsh-medium education within BME communities, such as Butetown, Cardiff, and I am excited to develop this in Newport.

"The expansion of Pillgwenlly Primary would also be invaluable to meeting the needs of the local community and enhancing education and attendance across the board."

The council says the relocation of Pillgwenlly Primary will allow the already over-subscribed school to grow and offer three-form entry.

Money would also be invested in Tredegar Park Primary, increasing it from a two-form to a two and a half-form entry school.

Cllr Gail Giles, cabinet member for education, added: "This a positive step for education in Newport and will certainly support the Welsh Government’s desire to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 – we are grateful that they have supported our ambitious plans."

The city’s Welsh-medium catchment areas will also be reviewed to reflect the changes.

A consultation will take place before a final decision is taken on the proposals.