A small village that lost its school but had the building turned into a community hub is set to lose out all over again.

Councillors on Conwy’s cabinet, meeting on Tuesday, will consider plans to sell off the former Tan y Fron school site in Bylchau.

The school had shut in the early 1990s with the building used shortly afterwards for community rooms, further education provision and workshop spaces to let on the open market.

According to the council the further education occupation lasted a short time, occupation of the workshop units was sporadic with limited demand and tenant retention.

After a number of years this led to limited use of the site for community space with the remainder of the site remaining vacant.

The school house was reconfigured and let in 1995 as a children’s Welsh language nursery, the tenant remained in occupation and business until 2014 when it was closed citing a lack of demand for their services.

This unit has remained vacant since.

Since then the building’s only tenant has been Y Gadlas Welsh language community newspaper which is looking for a new home.

With the closure of the nursery much of the site has become dilapidated with the council having to put up fencing to keep trespassers out.

Council officers have come to the conclusion that they can no longer offer the site out to tenants and the best option for the authority would be to sell the site off.

If the option to sell the site is approved the guide price of £50,000 will be used at auction.

Keeping the site would cost the council £6,500 a year, officers warned.

Llansannan county councillor, Cllr Sue Lloyd-Williams, whose ward includes Bylchau, said: “The Tan y Fron site has been an integral part within the community for many years serving both young and old, offering educational, social, religious and fun activities to many. It is with great sadness that we find ourselves in this position, but taking all things into consideration, and after a long period of consultation, disposal of the site seems the only viable, realistic option.

“As local member I request that, in principal, cabinet members approve a community payback amount – once the disposal of the site has taken place – in order that the community can fund local activities and projects which will

develop and strengthen the cohesiveness of Tan y Fron and the surrounding area – creating a strong and vibrant community once again.”

Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, Cllr Sam Rowlands, said:  “I support the option to dispose of this site. I am satisfied that our officers

have looked at all other relevant alternatives for the future of the former Tan

y Fron School and it is unfortunate that there seems to be no other viable

option.”

A report will be prepared on how money raised from the auction can be spent in the community if the option to sell is approved.