Welsh language campaigners prepare to fight ‘flawed’ Carmarthenshire school closures

The council’s Cabinet has agreed to publish a statutory notice to close Ysgol Llansteffan, while also launching consultations on the future of Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Y Fro, Llangyndeyrn.

Campaigners argue the decision is flawed, with Cymdeithas criticising councillors for pressing ahead despite admitting that the initial statutory stage of discussions with the schools — known as stage 0 — “did not happen properly.”

Ffred Ffransis, speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Carmarthenshire, said preparation work to mobilise responses and objections would begin immediately alongside the schools themselves:

“The cabinet should not have voted for a consultation after admitting that the initial statutory stage of discussion with the schools, known as stage 0, did not happen properly. The council officers’ reports say clearly that a consultation or a statutory notification to close should not be authorised unless councillors were sure that it was the best option. The preparation work to ensure responses to the consultations and objections to the statutory notice to close, together with the three schools, will start straight away.”

Four schools under review as viability questioned

As Swansea Bay News previously reported, Carmarthenshire councillors considered proposals last month to close four rural primaries under the county’s Modernising Education Programme. Reports highlighted falling rolls, high surplus places and financial pressures.

• Ysgol Llansteffan has just eight pupils on roll, with costs per pupil more than three times the county average.
• Ysgol Y Fro has 15 pupils and was placed in Special Measures by Estyn earlier this year.
• Ysgol Meidrim, with 31 pupils, is also in Special Measures following an inspection in 2024.
• Ysgol Pontyates has 24 pupils and more than 70% surplus places, with projections showing numbers continuing to fall.

Pontyates campaign continues despite reprieve

Although Pontyates was excluded from the immediate closure process, villagers have vowed to continue their fight. At a packed public meeting earlier this month, governors and parents insisted the threat remains and uncertainty continues.

“Of course it is a relief to hear that the consultation process is unlikely to proceed in the case of Ysgol Pontyates, but the anxiety and uncertainty will continue. For the benefit of the children and staff we must continue to fight, demand fairness for our families and our community, and ensure a future for a school – which has just celebrated its hundred and fifty years – for generations to come.”

Campaigners accused the council of rushing plans “in a thoughtless and unnecessary manner” and warned closures would mean upheaval and long journeys to larger schools. One pupil told the meeting:

“Our school is small but it is very special. We all know each other… We learn everything in Welsh and we are very proud of that. It is part of who we are and it helps keep our village and our language alive.”

Parents and supporters plan to protest outside County Hall in Carmarthen when the Cabinet meets on 17 November to decide whether to continue with the consultation.

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Glynog Davies said:

“We of course understand how difficult this is for the schools involved and wholeheartedly sympathise with the parents, staff, governors and local members.

“It is important to note that no decisions have been made with regards to Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol y Fro and a consultation process will provide an opportunity for those school communities to have their say as part of the decision-making process.”

Related articles

• Four Carmarthenshire schools face closure under modernisation plans
• Pontyates villagers vow to continue fight to save school

#carmarthenshire #carmarthenshireCouncil #carmarthenshireCountyCouncil #countyHall #cymdeithasYrIaith #llangyndeyrn #llansteffan #meidrim #modernisingEducation #pontyates #schoolClosure #ysgolLlansteffan #ysgolMeidrim #ysgolYFro

“Whose flag flies here?”: The politics of symbolism in Carmarthenshire

At County Hall in Carmarthen, three flags fly: the Welsh Dragon, the council’s own standard, and the Ukrainian flag — a gesture of solidarity with a nation under siege. But the fourth pole stands empty. The Union Flag, which some councillors say should fly permanently alongside the others, is conspicuously absent.

That absence sparked a heated debate in the council chamber earlier this month, when Labour councillor Rob Evans (Dafen & Felinfoel) tabled a motion calling for the Union Jack to be flown daily at council buildings in Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford.

“Our men and women in uniform don’t just serve on special occasions — they serve 365 days a year,” Cllr Evans told the chamber. “They fight under the Union Jack, and many have been buried beneath it after making the ultimate sacrifice. Surely the least we can do is honour them every single day.”

His Labour colleague Cllr Michael Thomas (Pembrey) echoed the call, saying the council’s current stance was “disingenuous” given its recent Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award.

But Plaid Cymru and Independent councillors in the ruling administration rejected the proposal. They argued that permanently flying the Union Flag was “too political” and risked alienating residents. One Plaid member said some in Carmarthenshire would not want to stand under the Union Jack because of “600 years of London rule.”

The motion was defeated, with 41 councillors voting against, 22 in favour, and two abstaining.

How councillors voted

Flags on the streets

The row over the Union Flag came just days before another controversy. Carmarthenshire Council was criticised by Reform UK councillors after removing Welsh flags that had been attached to lampposts as part of the Raise the Colours campaign.

Cllr Michelle Beer (Reform UK, Lliedi) said:

“It is with deep disappointment that we witness the Plaid Cymru‑led council’s decision to remove Welsh flags from lampposts across our county. The Welsh flag, a proud symbol of our heritage and identity, has long served as a unifying emblem. Yet Plaid Cymru — the so‑called ‘Party of Wales’ — has chosen to strip this powerful symbol from our streets.”

The council defended its actions, saying flags attached to highway structures without permission are unlawful and can pose safety risks. A spokesperson said a new “dynamic risk assessment protocol” is now in place to manage such displays.

The politics of colour

The Raise the Colours campaign itself has become controversial far beyond Carmarthenshire. Launched in summer 2025, it encouraged people to tie Union Jacks, St George’s Crosses and other national flags to lampposts, bridges and roundabouts. While supporters framed it as a grassroots celebration of patriotism, anti‑racist groups such as Hope Not Hate warned that it had been amplified by far‑right activists and linked to anti‑immigration protests across the UK. Polling suggested a significant share of the public saw the campaign as a statement against migrants rather than a neutral show of pride.

That wider context helps explain why the council’s decision to remove the flags has been so politically charged — and highlights the contrast with its choice to fly the Ukrainian flag at County Hall, a symbol of solidarity with a nation under attack that has broad cross‑party support.

A pattern of disputes

This is not the first time Carmarthenshire Council has faced scrutiny over its approach to flags. In 2018, the authority declined a request to fly the Pride flag during LGBT History Month, a decision campaigners said was out of step with other Welsh councils.

Taken together, the empty pole at County Hall, the removed banners from lampposts, and the rainbow flag that never flew suggest a pattern: in Carmarthenshire, decisions about what flies above civic buildings are shaped as much by politics as by protocol.

As Welsh Conservative MS Sam Rowlands put it in an earlier row over the Union Flag:

“We should be striving for actions and symbols that unite us, not divide us. Yet this decision is the petty nationalism that divides us.”

#Carmarthen #Carmarthenshire #CarmarthenshireCouncil #CllrMichaelThomas #CllrRobEvans #CountyHall #Dafen #Felinfoel #FlagPole #flags #Llanelli #Pembrey #RaiseTheFlag #UnionFlag

There was almost complete cloud cover the other night over Cork as we attempted to photograph the setting sun behind St. Anne’s Church, or Shandon Bells, as it’s known locally.

A few minutes before the official sunset, the horizon caught on fire and briefly lit up. It didn’t last long, and the transition between daylight and night just meant the sky got darker and the air colder around us.

https://inphotos.org/2024/02/12/a-crack-of-sunlight/

#Cork #CountyHall #FirkinCrane #Ireland #Photo #ShandonBells #SonyA7III #sunset

The tower of St. Anne’s Church, or “Shandon Bells” or “The Four Faced Liar” with the County Hall far behind it.

As seen from Bell’s Field.

https://inphotos.org/2023/10/07/the-bells-and-the-hall/

#BlarneyPhotographyClub #Cork #CountyHall #Ireland #Photo #ShandonBells

The Bells and the Hall

The tower of St. Anne’s Church, or “Shandon Bells” or “The Four Faced Liar” with the County Hall far behind it.

As seen from Bell’s Field.

https://inphotos.org/2023/10/07/the-bells-and-the-hall/

#Cork #Ireland #ShandonBells #CountyHall #Photo #Photography #BlarneyPhotographyClub

Municipal treasure of the day: an invitation to the London County Council’s County Hall opening ceremony on 17 July 1922. #municipal #londoncountycouncil #GLC #CountyHall

My favourite view #river #cascades #Cork #Lee #CountyHall

#CountyHall #London in #PrideMonth colours on the eve of #StateOfOpenCon #SOOCon23 😍

A sight well known to anyone who lives in Cork City. The Spire of St. Anne’s Church, or Shandon Bells stands like a beacon. The Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne is just off shot to the right, out of this shot.

The County Hall can be seen far off in the distance out on the Carrigrohane Road. That building was once the tallest building in Ireland.

Look back further and you’ll see fields on the hills surrounding the city.

#black-and-white #cork #county-hall #ireland #photos #shandon-bells-2 #sony-a7iii

https://inphotos.org/2022/11/11/from-north-side-to-county/