A Powys councillor has raised formal concerns over discrepancies in pupil figures for the Cradoc Primary School site, amid concerns about the handling of the Brecon school merger.

Conservative councillor Iain McIntosh (Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew) has submitted a formal question to Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Pete Roberts, today.

Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan is the latest school to be established by Powys County Council, following the merger of Mount Street Infants School, Mount Street Junior School and Cradoc C.P. School.

The school opened in September 2024, but currently still operates over the three sites.

Proposals for a new 360-place primary school for Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan, to be built on the site of the former Brecon High School, are to be discussed this month.

Cllr McIntosh explains that a key point of contention is the council’s claim that Cradoc Primary School has a capacity of 175 pupils - a figure that has been repeatedly challenged but never officially corrected.

He claims the incorrect figure is being used deliberately by the council “to suggest the school is under-subscribed, in order to justify their plans.”

The figure has been cited by the council in its Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for the new school project, which will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday, February 18. The report will also be considered by the council’s Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, February 12.

Cllr McIntosh said: “Since the very start of these proposals to merge Cradoc Primary School with the Mount Street schools in Brecon, I, along with parents, teachers, and children, have raised numerous concerns about the council’s plans. Yet here we are, four years after the decision was made, and the council has still not secured the funding for their project.

“The biggest issue remains the council’s claim that Cradoc Primary School can accommodate 175 pupils - a number we know is inaccurate and appears to have been used deliberately to suggest the school is under-subscribed, in order to justify their plans. The actual capacity is far lower, and the council’s persistent refusal to verify this figure raises serious questions about what they might be trying to hide.

“It’s time for the council to come clean, admit the true capacity of Cradoc School, and correct this mistake.”

In his question, Cllr McIntosh explains that based on the assessments, the accurate capacity is 143 pupils, which further reduces to 125 when accounting for the 18 pupils accommodated by the pre-school 3@Cradoc group.

“At the time of the initial consultation, the school had 108 enrolled children, indicating that it was not significantly under-subscribed, as previously implied and presented to previous Cabinet members,” he says.

Cllr McIntosh also highlighted concerns over information shared over the ability to deliver the new curriculum at the schools.

“They also need to explain why senior officers misled Cabinet members by claiming that Cradoc and other schools earmarked for closure would be unable to deliver the new curriculum, when in fact, they were fully capable,” he said.

“Local residents deserve answers, and they deserve them now.”

Cllr McIntosh says that “full transparency” is needed to ensure that decisions on the future of Cradoc are based on accurate information.

He has also requested an urgent meeting with council officials and Cradoc staff to formally verify the school’s capacity.

Cllr Roberts has been approached for comment.