THE controversial plans to close rural primary schools in north Ceredigion have been in the pipeline for most of this year.

Up to seven schools were originally thought to be on the chopping block in April but Ceredigion County Council would not disclose any information, only saying that it was ‘adhering to the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code’.

The three other schools believed to have originally been part of the plan are Ysgol Talgarreg and the two Ysgol Rhos Helyg campuses in Bronant and Llangeitho.

The confirmation of which schools the council planned to close were only disclosed when the agenda for Ceredigion County Council’s September meeting of the cabinet were released.

The 952 page agenda also included approving parking charges on Aberystwyth promenade and closing Tregerddan care home.

The meeting was held on 3 September, which was an inset day in Ceredigion, and led to several parents, children and teachers from the affected schools heading to Penmorfa in Aberaeron to protest.

Chief Executive Eifion Evans was ‘angry’ by the presence of so many parents and children and sources tell the Cambrian News he pulled the four headmasters of the schools into a meeting following the cabinet discussions.

The Cambrian News has been told that teachers at the four schools were told they would have to work the hours back, that Mr Evans complained that children who attended the council chamber used too much toilet paper in the lavatories in Penmorfa and that people were climbing the flagpoles outside the building.

He also claimed that his car was damaged in the car park, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

Cabinet members debated on whether to launch a consultation on the closure of the four schools for eight hours with heated exchanges taking place and Ffred Ffransis, from the Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Education Group, being ejected from the chamber.

He later accused the council of treating the parents and residents who were present as obstacles to be defeated instead of seeing them as partners in community regeneration.

Campaign groups have now been set up in all four communities in a bid to fight the closures with efforts in place to seek a judicial review.

The consultations run until 3 December with the results of those due to go before the Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 13 February 2025, with the Plaid Cymru cabinet set to decide on the closures on 18 February.