New three-19 school for Abergavenny unanimously approved by councillors

A new school to serve 1,900 pupils aged three-19 in Abergavenny has been unanimously approved by councillors in Monmouthshire.

The all-through school on the current site of King Henry VIII School, will include flying-start, nursery, lower school, upper school and sixth form provision.

Specialist provision for children with complex neurodevelopmental and learning needs will also be included, with 71 places provided.

It will replace King Henry VIII and Deri View schools, and is intended to be completed in time for the September 2024 term.

Under the plans, the existing King Henry VIII school will be demolished to make way for the new facilities which will include two separate buildings – the three-storey lower school for pupils up to year four, and the three-storey upper school for pupils from years five-13.

The school will come with modern facilities, including better sports provision with 3G pitches.

Philip Thomas, from Monmouthshire council’s planning team, said the new development will “substantially improve” the design quality of the buildings on the site.

Although “necessarily functional”, the designs will be “a vast improvement” on the current appearance of the school, Mr Thomas told a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Wednesday.

Abergavenny councillor Maureen Powell said the school will be “a wonderful addition” to Abergavenny.

“I think it’s been long-coming,” she said.

“The school building itself has been in dire states and we really do need a new school.”

Patrick Hannay, chairman of Abergavenny Transition Town, said that further improvements could be made to ‘active travel’ plans, such as walking and cycling routes to the school.

However Craig O’Connor, head of planning at Monmouthshire council, said the application has attempted to “push the active travel agenda”, and to change the way people travel to school.

Pete Sulley, of Asbri Planning – representing the applicant Monmouthshire council – said the new school would enhance the area and provide “the best education for young people in Abergavenny for many years to come”.

The development – previously estimated to cost £50-million – is part of Monmouthshire council’s 21st century schools programme, with 65 per cent of the cost funded by Welsh Government and 35 per cent by the local authority.

Cllr Jayne McKenna welcomed the plans, saying the new school is “desperately now needed”, with the existing facilities “no longer fit for purpose”.

All 15 councillors on the planning committee voted in favour of the plans.