A NEW £2m Welsh-medium early years facility in Powys has opened its doors to children and staff.

Powys County Council has built the new, fit-for-purpose facility on the site of Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr, a Welsh-medium primary school in Lower Cwmtwrch, near Ystradgynlais. It will accommodate a total of 120 childcare offer, flying start and early year places through the medium of Welsh.

Construction work was carried out by Llanelli-based company Morganstone.

The facility, which has been built thanks to Welsh Government funding secured by the council, will meet the growing demand for Welsh-medium early years places.

The existing early years setting, ‘Dechrau Disglair’, is based in Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr, which opened in 2012 as a successful Welsh-medium school. However, that school has reached its capacity and there continues to be a significant demand for Welsh-medium provision in the south Powys area.

The development, which has been built as a separate block on the school site, includes early years and flying start facilities as well as three additional classrooms for foundation phase learners.

This project is part of the council’s transformation programme to deliver aspirations in ‘Vision 2025’ – the council's corporate improvement plan. It will also help the council deliver its ‘Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys 2020-2030’.

The build was delivered in partnership with Heart of Wales Property Services.

Councillor Phyl Davies, cabinet member for education and property, said: “One of our aims in our Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys is to improve access to Welsh-medium provision across all key stages. This development will help us deliver this aim.

“The demand of Welsh-medium education in this part of Powys is high but Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr has reached its capacity and this needed to be addressed.

“I’m delighted this fit-for-purpose facility for early years has now opened. It will free up much-needed room with Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr and ensure a seamless transition from the early years setting into the primary school.”

To find out more about Welsh-medium education in Powys, visit http://en.powys.gov.uk/schools and click on ‘destination bilingual’.

For more information about transforming education in Powys, visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/transformingeducation.