Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is urging Flintshire backbench councillors to challenge this week’s decision by the Council’s political leadership to push ahead with merging four schools in North-East Wales.
Last week Flintshire Council’s Education, Youth & Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee debated proposals to merge St Anthony’s in Saltney, St. David’s school in Mold, and St. Mary’s and St. Richard Gwyn Schools in Flint to form a ‘super-school’ in Flint. And despite officers recommending its approval, councillors recommended that the plans were ditched.
However, yesterday Flintshire Council’s Cabinet members rejected the recommendation and voted to take the next step in closing the four Catholic schools and creating a new “super-school” in Flint. Mr Rowlands, who has been instrumental in campaigning on behalf of the objectors and has been running his own petition against the proposals, is now writing to backbench councillors urging them to challenge the Cabinet’s decision.
He said:
I am very surprised that the Cabinet refused to listen to a recommendation from their fellow councillors and take into account public opinion on this matter.
A consultation showed that over 95% of parents voted against the controversial move which clearly shows the depth of feeling on this issue and I was delighted when the Council’s Education, Youth & Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended the plans be ditched and reconsidered.
As I have said before I was extremely disappointed that this unpopular proposal actually went as far as a consultation given the huge tide of concern from parents, governors, teachers and local councillors. For the Cabinet to just ignore the public’s views is outrageous.
I will be writing to all backbench Flintshire councillors urging them to challenge the decision as they have the power to call for the decision to be paused so it has to be reviewed and debated or voted on again.
It really is vitally important that the views of local people are taken into account on such an important issue and I will continue to do everything I can to get this plan scrapped.
Flintshire County Council plan to close four catholic schools and create a ‘super-school’ in Flint for pupils aged 3-18 from 2026 to 2029. They include St Anthony's Catholic Primary in Saltney, St David's in Mold, St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School and St Mary's in Flint with the proposed new school being developed on the existing sites of St Richard Gwyn and St Mary’s in Flint and leading to the closure of St Anthony’s by September 2026.
Sam Rowlands AS yn galw ar gynghorwyr i ddileu cynlluniau i uno pedair ysgol yn y Gogledd-ddwyrain
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn annog cynghorwyr meinciau cefn Sir y Fflint i herio penderfyniad arweinyddiaeth wleidyddol y Cyngor yr wythnos hon i fwrw ymlaen â'r bwriad i uno pedair ysgol yn y Gogledd-ddwyrain.
Yr wythnos diwethaf, fe wnaeth Pwyllgor Trosolwg a Chraffu Addysg, Ieuenctid a Diwylliant Cyngor Sir y Fflint drafod cynigion i uno ysgolion St Anthony's yn Saltney, St. David's yn yr Wyddgrug, a St. Mary's a St. Richard Gwyn yn y Fflint i greu 'uwch-ysgol' yn nhref y Fflint. Er gwaetha'r ffaith bod swyddogion yn argymell cymeradwyo'r cynlluniau, argymell eu dileu oedd cynghorwyr.
Ddoe, fodd bynnag, gwrthododd aelodau Cabinet Cyngor Sir y Fflint yr argymhelliad a phleidleisio o blaid cymryd y cam nesaf i gau'r pedair ysgol Gatholig a chreu "uwch-ysgol" newydd yn y Fflint. Mae Mr Rowlands, sydd wedi bod yn allweddol wrth ymgyrchu ar ran y gwrthwynebwyr ac wedi cynnal ei ddeiseb ei hun yn erbyn y cynigion, bellach yn ysgrifennu at gynghorwyr meinciau cefn yn eu hannog i herio penderfyniad y Cabinet.
Meddai:
Dwi'n synnu'n fawr bod y Cabinet wedi gwrthod gwrando ar argymhelliad eu cyd-gynghorwyr ac ystyried barn y cyhoedd ar y mater hwn.
Roedd ymgynghoriad yn dangos bod dros 95% o rieni wedi pleidleisio yn erbyn y cam dadleuol sy'n dangos yn glir pa mor ddwfn yw'r teimladau ar y mater hwn, ac roeddwn wrth fy modd pan argymhellodd Pwyllgor Trosolwg a Chraffu Addysg, Ieuenctid a Diwylliant y Cyngor y dylid rhoi'r gorau i'r cynlluniau a'u hailystyried.
Fel y dywedais o'r blaen, roeddwn i'n hynod siomedig bod y cynnig amhoblogaidd hwn wedi mynd mor bell â'r ymgynghoriad, o gofio'r holl bryderon oedd gan rieni, llywodraethwyr, athrawon a chynghorwyr lleol. Mae'r ffaith bod y Cabinet yn anwybyddu barn y cyhoedd yn warthus.
Byddaf yn ysgrifennu at holl gynghorwyr meinciau cefn Sir y Fflint yn eu hannog i herio'r penderfyniad gan fod ganddyn nhw'r pŵer i alw am oedi'r penderfyniad, er mwyn ei adolygu a'i drafod neu bleidleisio arno eto.
Mae'n hollbwysig bod barn pobl leol yn cael eu hystyried ar fater mor bwysig a byddaf yn parhau i wneud popeth posibl i ddileu'r cynllun hwn.
Mae Cyngor Sir y Fflint yn bwriadu cau pedair ysgol Gatholig a chreu 'uwch-ysgol' yn y Fflint ar gyfer disgyblion 3-18 oed rhwng 2026 a 2029. Maen nhw'n cynnwys Ysgol Gynradd Gatholig St Anthony yn Saltney, St David's yn yr Wyddgrug, Ysgol Uwchradd Gatholig St Richard Gwyn ac Ysgol St Mary's yn y Fflint gyda'r ysgol newydd arfaethedig yn cael ei datblygu ar safleoedd presennol St Richard Gwyn a St Mary's yn y Fflint a chau Ysgol St Anthony's erbyn Medi 2026.
