Decision Notice for the Proposal to Create a New 3 to 19 Special School in Rhondda Cynon Taf

• Park Lane Special School
• Ysgol Hen Felin
• Ysgol Ty Coch

The proposal is to be implemented no later than September 2026.

No objections were received during the Statutory Notice period and as such, in accordance with the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code 2018 (011/2018) the Council’s Cabinet have determined to proceed with the proposal. 

The rationale behind the proposal and the reasons underpinning the decision to implement it were fully outlined and explained within the Consultation Document that was widely circulated last year. As well as the robust rationale, it should be noted that there was significant support for this project during the consultation stage. 

The conclusion therefore reached by the Council’s Cabinet when making their final decision was that the benefits that can be achieved through delivering this proposal were overwhelmingly positive. The new 3 to 19 special school in RCT would be built in accordance with current requirements of planning and building control legislation and will be fully accessible and compliant with the Equality Act 2010. Accommodation will consist of: 

• Modern, flexible learning environments for all pupils, a hall/dining area, and specialist teaching and learning areas to cater for the needs of all pupils.
• A hydro-therapy pool plus other therapy, sensory and stimulating specialist equipment.
• A dedicated area within so that the local community will be allowed to safely use the facilities, both during and after the school day.
• Enhanced outdoor spaces to support the full range of curriculum activities.
• Traffic management systems including on-site pupil bus drop off, and on-site staff parking.

The principal change will be an improvement in the quality of special school provision. The new 3 to 19 special school in Rhondda Cynon Taf on a new site provides the opportunity for more pupils with additional learning needs to benefit from improved educational facilities and learning environments. 

Based on these outcomes, the Council’s Cabinet resigned to approve the implementation of this proposal.