MORE than £11 million could be spent on rebuilding a Cwmbran school to provide a 21st Century teaching environment and to meet increasing demand for places.

A proposal has been put forward by Torfaen County Borough Council to replace the existing Maendy Primary School with a new, low carbon and  larger capacity school on the existing site by September 2023.

The council, if cabinet approves the proposal, will ask the Welsh Government for a 65 per cent contribution - £7.45 million. The rest - £4.04m - would be funded by the council.

In total the rebuild is expected to cost £11.49m.

Increasing demand due to the ongoing South Sebastopol housing development, and a backlog maintenance bill for the current school buildings of £523,105, has prompted the proposal.

“The existing school buildings would need significant investment just to bring them up to an “as built” standard," states a council report.

“Even then the overall suitability of the accommodation is affected by virtue of the fact it exists across two buildings - the former infant school and former two-story junior school buildings, built in 1958 and 1962 respectively.”

If approved, the rebuilt school would have a capacity of 420 plus a 30-place nursery, compared to the current 231 places.

Cabinet members will also be asked to approve a public consultation on the proposal, as an increase in capacity of more than 25 per cent is planned.

If the development goes ahead, the school site would also need a special needs resource base, additional needs assessment centre, Flying Start, and a play group.

A separate grant under the childcare offer capital grant programme has been secured to provide childcare facilities. This would be developed as the same time as the rebuild.

The council says that temporary accommodation during the build would be kept to a minimum and the impact on learners is likely to be “restricted to a reduced but manageable external play provision for the duration of the build.”

If approved by cabinet members next Tuesday, February 11, the council will submit a business plan to Welsh Government and a six-week consultation will go ahead.

Following the consultation, a final decision will be made on whether the rebuild goes ahead.