IT MAY not be possible for the council to secure 21st Century School funding for a new 11-19 secondary school in Haverfordwest in this round of Welsh Government funding, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Audit Committee has been told.

The council’s chief finance officer Jon Haswell told the committee that it would not be possible for the authority to go through the consultation and tendering process before the draw-down date for funding.

“We have asked the Welsh Government if there may be a possibility of flexibility in the draw-down date,” he said.

“We are talking a potential overrun of six months here. This is a different decision that will have to be made at a more senior level.”

He added that other options, such as a smaller school, were being looked at, but the school could not be built within the 21st Century School time frame.

Cllr Jacob Williams asked if there was a possibility of using the money to instead refurbish the current school buildings.

Mr Haswell said that this was an option but in his opinion the buildings were not “in the best state” and even with refurbishment would get to a stage when a new build was required.

“The Welsh Government is not likely to fund a refurbishment and then a new building,” he said.

Cllr Williams also asked about the possibility of co-locating an 11-19 school on the same site as the new Welsh-medium school in Haverfordwest.

Mr Haswell said that the council did not own enough land to do that and that the private land near Withybush was currently earmarked for the Welsh school was only big enough to accommodate that school.

Cllr John Allen Mirehouse added that if the two schools were just merged, the Welsh Government was not likely to approve as there would be no likely improvement in educational outcomes.

Cllr Williams concurred that there had been much emphasis placed on buildings rather than the schools’ staff.

The Audit Committee noted the 21st Century Schools Programme Update as well as two other reports on the whole programme and the Pembroke Learning Campus.