Torfaen council's cabinet to release £3.79 million for 'phase one' of construction works to build replacement Cr

Last year, cabinet appointed their main contractor for the new replacement 11- 16 school for Croesyceiliog Comprehensive.

This includes demolishing the existing school and building a floodlit artificial grass pitch, external play areas and car parking.

On Thursday this week, Torfaen council's cabinet will be asked to release £3.79million for 'phase one' of the project.

This sum will be split between several areas with £770,000 to help set up the site, £16,000 spend on ecology works and £1.44 million on groundworks.

Highway works off Crownbridge roundabout will also cost £310,000 while £610,000 will be spent on piling and £644,000 on service diversions.

Main construction works, or 'phase two' will run between March 2018 and July 2019.

Original plans for the school - which were given the green light by planning committee in September - also included room for a sixth form.

However, these plans could be removed at a later stage following Welsh Government’s decision on sixth form provision in Torfaen county borough.

Wider council plans, under the 21st Century Schools Programme, aim to remove all sixth form provision in Torfaen and replace it with a £20million super college in Cwmbran.

This would see Croesyceiliog School, St Albans Roman Catholic School in Pontypool and Cwmbran High lose their sixth forms and a decision is expected this year.

The £30million Croesyceiliog project is funded by a £15million grant by Welsh Government match funded by Torfaen council.

New school buildings are planned in front of the existing school, which will be demolished when the newly-built site opens.

Proposed sports facilities would be available for community use outside school hours with the floodlit all-purpose pitch available between 5pm and 10pm on school days, and 9am-10pm on weekends and school holidays.

The final construction contract is expected to be agreed in December this year.