THE planned demolition of part of a Newport primary school has been delayed after bats were found in the building.

A discovery of two species of bats in the Key Stage Two building at St Andrew's Primary School - which is set to be knocked down - means Newport City Council is now required to obtain a licence from Natural Resources Wales before the work can resume.

A council spokeswoman said that once the licence is obtained, it will be arranged for the demolition to continue as soon as possible.

There was also asbestos found on the site, but it has since been removed by contractors.

At the moment, the site has been cordoned off from the public.

South Wales Argus:

How St Andrew's Primary School looks today. Picture: Frank Mitchell

The site on Jenkins Street was declared unsafe in March 2021.

The council spokeswoman said that the building has “significant structural issues, including complex foundation issues, that cannot be repaired.”

Plans are in place for a new £10 million building to replace the one being demolished, although a planning application is yet to be submitted. It is expected formal plans will be lodged later this year.

Until the demolition is completed and the new building is constructed, Key Stage Two pupils at St Andrew’s will continue to be based at Newport Live’s Connect Centre.

The development does not affect Key Stage One pupils and they will remain in their normal buildings.

Frank Mitchell, who worked at the school with his wife and also had four children attend there, said: "To be honest I'm quite upset that it is actually going to be pulled down because this building has been there since 1902.

"I'm getting emotional now to think that it's going down, it's going to transform it altogether."