Powys council to let full chamber decide school closures
Powys County Council votes to give all 68 councillors a say on future school closures, ending cabinet‑only decisions.
Powys County Council has voted to hand the final say on school closures to the full chamber of 68 councillors, ending a six‑year period in which the cabinet alone made such decisions.
The change was approved at a Thursday meeting on 8 October after independent opposition councillors tabled a constitutional amendment.
Cllr Ed Jones, an independent representing Old Radnor, said the motion was “about democratic accountability” and warned that “schools are the hearts of the community”.
He added that the impact of a closure can be felt for decades and that the only thing changing would be “who makes a final decision”.
Joint Powys Independents leader Cllr Beverley Baynham seconded the proposal, noting that only 15 per cent of councillors currently vote on closures.
Baynham recalled that before 2019 the chamber decided on school closures and argued that “we should go back to a system where every councillor has a vote”.
The motion comes as the council’s Liberal Democrat/Labour cabinet has already set in motion the legal process to close Gladestry Church in Wales Primary School at the end of August 2027.
A public consultation on the Gladestry proposal runs until 26 October, with residents urged to submit comments before the deadline.
Council leader Cllr Jake Berriman, a Liberal Democrat, confirmed he would vote against the amendment but said his group would allow a “free vote”.
Berriman asked for clarity on how the change would affect the timetable for schools already slated for closure, noting that “procedurally, the cabinet has business in hand”.
Debby Jones, head of legal services and monitoring officer, said any amendment passed today would be drafted and sent to the Democratic Services Committee for further scrutiny.
She added that the implementation date for the constitutional change would be the meeting date itself.
Joint Independents leader Cllr Ange Williams queried whether the amendment would be back‑dated, to which Ms Jones replied affirmatively, confirming the change would take effect immediately.
Cllr Glyn Preston, holding the economic development portfolio, asked what would happen if the full council rejected the amendment, wondering if it would become “null and void”.
Ms Jones explained that a rejection would simply mean the current cabinet‑only process remains in place, with no further debate on the amendment itself.
Former council leader and education portfolio holder Cllr James Gibson‑Watt, who has served since 1996, warned that while the motion’s principles are understandable, “there are dangers in this”.
He recalled past inconsistencies when three schools faced closure and councillors voted to shut only one, describing the outcome as “chaotic” and “mayhem”.
After a period of “going around in circles”, Cllr Jones moved a closure motion to progress the vote, which was carried by 34 councillors in favour, 21 against and one abstention.
The amendment now heads to the Democratic Services Committee, where it will be drafted before returning to the full council for a final vote later this term.
If adopted, every Powys councillor will have a direct say on the future of primary schools such as Gladestry, reshaping how education provision is decided across the county.