Decision over Cwmcarn High School pupils

A special meeting of Caerphilly County Borough Council has voted to move all pupils from Cwmcarn High School to another site in Ebbw Vale for the remainder of the academic year. The school has been closed for ten days following asbestos fears.

The council says there is asbestos present in the construction of a number of the school buildings. A structural report found the majority of it is sealed and in good condition, but some debris was discovered in voids and some asbestos product is unsealed or has some damage.

This means there is potential for asbestos fibre to be released.

Further investigations are taking place to find out the extent of the problem and the work needed to address it. The council estimates that correcting it could cost millions of pounds.