Pembrokeshire County Councillors have voted to establish a Welsh Medium School 3-16 in Haverfordwest.

At an extraordinary meeting at County Hall last Thursday, the majority of councillors voted to discontinue Ysgol Cymraeg Glan Cleddau and establish a new 3-16 Welsh medium/ bilingual school on land near to Withybush Road, with post 16 provision in Ysgol y Preseli.

Councillors heard that the site was owned by Mr and Mrs Collins but went into private session to discuss the cost of purchasing it. A cost of £1million was speculated on both before and after the public was excluded.

Although the majority of councillors welcomed the decision to push ahead with Welsh medium education in Haverfordwest, concerns were raised over the location of the school, the validity of the consultation process, parity of sixth form education and the effect on other schools.

"I very much welcome the creation of a Welsh medium school," said Councillor Mike Evans. "But I do have concerns about its location. It should be further to the south.

"It is not a lot further for children of Tenby to drive to this location than Preseli, it's as far from Amroth and Dale."

Cllr Jamie Adams said the council had explored a total of nine possible sites for the school, but this was the only one that met all the criteria.

Cllr Mike Stoddart asked for assurances that the consultation process was above board.

"I've seen legal advice that says this consultation process is flawed unless the location is known. I would like assurance that this legal advice is wrong."

He was assured that the consultation process was in compliance with Welsh Government guidance.

Cllr Stoddart also asked what impact the school would have on others in the area, especially Fishguard, St Davids and Milford Haven.

Cllr Sue Perkins replied there was no way of knowing what decisions parents would make.

Cllr Bob Kilmister expressed concerns that the council would be liable to claims of discrimination if the Welsh school ended up with a sixth form in the future and the English school did not.

"Welsh medium education in this county will be via a sixth form," he said. "You are proposing at the moment that in Haverfordwest, for an English School, that option will not apply. If that isn't a form of discrimination...there is a real problem there."

Councillors voted to approve the director's recommendation, with five against and three abstentions.