The new £10 million Bala “superschool” is to be delayed by a year after Gwynedd Council voted to go it alone without the Church in Wales

The previous plan to for the new Ysgol Y Berwyn to operate as a Church in Wales school would have seen the school open next September.

However, the delays caused by the council choosing to go it alone and re-consult on proposals mean the school will not open until September 2019.

The council’s cabinet will meet to discuss a consultation on seven different models with one option already favoured by council officers.

The favoured option would see the current Ysgol y Berwyn close, as well as Ysgol Bro Tegid and the Church in Wales-run Ysgol Beuno Sant, with the pupils of all three provided for at the super school on the site of Ysgol Y Berwyn which is currently under construction.

There would then be a catchment joint-committee created between the new school and a federation made up of the existing rural schools Ysgol OM Edwards, Ysgol Ffridd y Llyn and Ysgol Bro Tryweryn.

Cllr Gareth Thomas, Gwynedd Council cabinet member for education said: “Gwynedd Council is completely focused on securing the best education provision for the children and young people of the Y Berwyn catchment area. Unfortunately, the recent changes to the situation related to the proposed campus’ governance/management arrangements have caused slippage in the work programme for establishing the campus as a legal institution.

“Although the campus will not officially open until September 2019, the construction works are progressing well on site and we anticipate that new facilities, following £10.27 million investment, will be made available to local residents to take full advantage of the resources from September 2018 onwards.

“As a result it is felt that the most practical and appropriate option in this case would be to officially open the campus in September 2019.

“Meanwhile, officers from the Education Department will work closely with Ysgol Bro Tegid, Ysgol Beuno Sant and Ysgol y Berwyn and their governing bodies to establish a transition plan for the town’s primary schools.”