THE number of pupils able to attend a new £30-million Cwmbran secondary school will be reduced by 350, after plans to remove its sixth form were unanimously approved.

The original proposal for Croesyceiliog School had ‘sixth form accommodation’ as it was submitted while a decision on the 1,000-place college in Cwmbran was pending.

Following the Welsh Government’s approval of the £20-million college facility, which will be operated by Coleg Gwent, Torfaen’s planning committee granted a variation of a condition of the existing consent to remove the sixth form.

Rebecca McAndrew, the council’s principal planning officer, said, once complete, only 1,200 pupils will attend Croesyceiliog School’s new build.

The plans will also reduce the number of car park spaces and change the layout of one of the buildings.

“The key change to the scheme is that the building which would have previously accommodated the sixth form block, hub and sports block would now include only the hub and the sports facilities,” she said.

“The revised scheme would accommodate 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 16, whereas the previous scheme accommodated 1,550 students aged 11 to 18. The level of car parking and drop-off spaces within the site would be reduced, due to the reduction in the level of pupils.”

She added: “The scheme would provide a total of 105 parking spaces with 26 drop-off spaces, compared to the previously approved 139 parking spaces and 34 drop-off spaces.

“The proposed level of parking meets the authority’s adopted parking standards.

“Amendments have also been made to the proposed landscaping for the site, including amendments to the entrance plaza – from paving to tarmac – and an increased landscape area adjacent to the main access – where the car park has been reduced in size.”

Ms McAndrew added that the colour of the main building’s cladding would change from grey and lime green to a blue and green pattern also.

Cllr Huw Bevan expressed concern that the planning committee were being asked to approve a scheme without knowing the new site would have sufficient accommodation.

However, planner Richard Lewis said the accommodation for the school already had the approval for bigger accommodation and that this was a second plan in place.

Cllr Bevan said the school had approached the local education authority to retain the sixth form accommodation.

The creation of the central college will end the sixth form provision at Cwmbran High and Pontypool’s St Alban’s RC High schools – Torfaen’s only other 11 to 18 educational centres.