THREE coachloads of Abergavenny parents are expected to converge on the National Assembly on Wednesday to lobby AMs over school closures.

Monmouth AM David Davies will be speaking at a debate on the closure of Croesonen and Park Street infant schools, Abergavenny in the biggest shake-up of primary education ever seen in Monmouthshire.

Mr Davies said: "Both of these are excellent schools and I can't see any reason why they should be closed, nor can I see how their closure would help the local situation."

The county council has agreed to issue closure notices on both schools, and on St David's Junior School, Abergavenny. This will become the new site for Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni, which is currently temporarily housed at the town's youth centre.

The council has also agreed to build a 420-place primary school on the Llwynu Infant School site which will also have a nursery, and to remodel Harold Road Junior School into a 210-place primary school, with the possibility of nursery provision being explored.

There is now a two-month consultation period and then the council will send all documents to the National Assembly for education minister Jane Davidson to make the final decision, which is not expected until the spring.

Laurie Jones, chairman of Park Street PTA is co-ordinating the protest at the Assembly on Wednesday. He said parents from Park Street and Croesonen would be joined by parents from Llanfoist and Llanover Primary Schools, both of them earmarked for closure, and Harold Road Junior School.

He said: "The LEA has not produced any evidence to support their view that all-through primary schools provide a better education.

He added: "The only concession made by the LEA so far is an investigation into the provision of a nursery at Harold Road."

Nicky Carey is co-ordinating the Croesonen parents and said 40 parents and children would be going to the Assembly, but the number was continuing to rise each day as more parents became aware of the protest.

Mark Lawson, chairman of PACC (Parents Against Croesonen Closure) said: "The consultation process has been flawed. Many questions put forward by parents and governors have gone unanswered whilst MCC have been unable to justify any benefits in their plan."