Powys Council is to write to Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling on him to increase the Carers Allowance by £20 per week. A motion put forward by Liberal Democrat, Cllr Jackie Charlton to “stand up for carers” was approved at a full council meeting on Thursday, March 4. Cllr Charlton, (Llangattock) said: “It demonstrates how much we value carers. “At the end of 2019 in Powys there were approximately 2,627 carers entitled to Carers Allowance, 1,563 received the allowance.” This means that 1,064 Powys residents don’t claim the £67.25 weekly allowance. Cllr Charlton explained that unpaid carers save the Welsh Government at least £8 billion per year when comparing the hours they work, and how much paid carers could earn in the same time frame.
Caereinion High School - in Llanfair Caereinion from Google Streetview. A PROPOSAL to merge a primary and secondary school in Llanfair Caerenion is back on track. At a meeting on Tuesday, February 16, Powys County Council’s Independent/Conservative cabinet brushed aside concerns that the decision to go ahead with the process of creating an all-through school for four to 18 year olds in January, had been ‘flawed’. It came after a learning and skills scrutiny committee discussed the merger earlier this month, demanding that it go back to the cabinet to be reconsidered. Part of the issue is that Llanfair Caereinion could become the Welsh Medium secondary school for the whole of Montgomeryshire, ahead of other potential sites in Welshpool or Newtown.
Llanfihangel Rhydithon Primary School from Google street view Closing Llanfihangel Rhydithon primary school could leave too much of Radnorshire without a school, councillors have been warned. At a meeting on Tuesday, February 9, Powys County Council’s cabinet discussed the future of Llanfihangel Rhydithon primary school in Dolau, between Llandrindod Wells and Knighton. The school is oversubscribed, with 37 pupils and a capacity for 36. A report before the members said closing the school could save £59,000 a year. But adult social care and Welsh language portfolio holder Cllr Myfanwy Alexander (Banwy – Independent), said: : “The thing that’s startled me looking at the map is the distance, that’s an awful lot of Radnorshire without schools in it.
Closing the school is supposed to save Powys County Council (PCC) around £58,000 a year. It was pointed out at the PCC cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 9, that Castle Caereinion is a faith school, The expectation therefore would be that pupils would be offered places at a similar school. Cllr David Jones (Guilsfield – Independent) who represents Castle Caereinion, pointed out that discussions with the Diocsese of St Asaph, would be “key” to what happens to the school. Cll Jones, said: “The diocese rightly brings attention to the fact that no special allowance has been made for the fact that it is a Church in Wales school.
THE ownership of Neuadd Maldwyn in Welshpool is set to be transferred to Clwyd Alyn housing association. Powys County Council’s (PCC) Independent/Conservative cabinet approved the transfer of ownership at its meeting on Tuesday, January 26. It follows a mammoth and at times fractious planning committee meeting which took over three hours to discuss the application on Friday, January 22, The £11.6 million plans by Clwyd Alyn to change the former Montgomeryshire Council headquarters into a 66 apartment Extra Care facility for older people was approved. But the the planning approval as well as the deeds transfer is reliant on the Welsh Government, which is considering calling the proposal in for them to decide the scheme.