Talks to build new school in Hay continue (From Hereford Times)

Talks to build new school in Hay continue

10:30am Saturday 15th October 2011 in Hay-on-Wye

THE charity involved in talks which could lead to Hay-on-Wye’s primary school site being redeveloped for retail use said negotiations are still at an early stage.

As previously reported, Powys County Council is in discussions with a development company to sell the existing school site in Oxford Road and use the money to build a new 240-pupil primary school, youth and community hall and nursing home at no cost to the taxpayer.

While Hay and District Sports and Community Association has already secured planning permission for the mixed-use “community campus”, Llandrindod Wells-based Gaufron Developments will need planning consent before it can redevelop the school site for retail use.

Since talks began a number of residents have raised concerns that Gaufron is linked to a multi-million pound property empire, Kensington and Edinburgh Estates, which is behind controversial supermarket developments in Powys and Shropshire, and warned that the council needs to know who it is “getting into bed with”.

But Powys’ cabinet member for learning and leisure, Councillor Stephen Hayes, has already acknowledged that “not everyone will agree” with aspects of the scheme.

And this week members of Hay and District Sports and Community Association said the majority of people they speak to are excited about it.

Assosication trustee Robert Golesworthy (CORR) said: “The need for a new school has been obvious for a number of years and the majority of people I’ve spoken to are in favour of this.

“Obviously the retail site is quite separate from the community hall on the sports field and there might be some people with concerns about developments, but it’s very early days. We don’t have clear plans set out in front of us yet.”

Leon Morelli, chair of trustees, added: “We have for a long time been in favour of having a youth and community hall in Hay and obtained the full planning permission in September 2009. “Trustees have also been in favour of having a new school, but in a way that’s outside of our charitable directive. That side of it is being dealt with by the local education authority and still subject to discussions.”

Matthew Hall from Gaufron said: "Ensuring the community's involvement in the emerging scheme will be very important to us and we hope that, in the coming months, we will be in a position to go out to public consultation to hear people's views on the plans."