PLANS to create a brand new 3-16 Catholic School in Rhyl have moved a significant step closer.

Members of Denbighshire County Council’s Cabinet met in Ruthin yesterday (Tuesday) and agreed the publication of a statutory notice to close St Mary’s Catholic Primary School (Ysgol Mair) and Blessed Edwards Jones Catholic High School and for the Diocese of Wrexham to establish a new school on the existing sites from September 1 2019.

A formal consultation has taken place in recent months, with the vast majority of the responses overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal.

The Statutory Notice will be published on June 20, with people then having 28 days to make any formal objections. The Council will then need to publish an objections report and a final decision on the proposal will be taken by Cabinet in the autumn.

Karen Evans, Head of Education and Children’s Services, said: “This proposal reflects the commitment we have made in Denbighshire to improving performance in education and the quality of our school buildings. We want to make sure that we provide the right number of school places, of the right type and in the right location.

“There has been a lot of consultation and engagement regarding this proposal, including a public meeting attended by over 100 people. We also received 106 formal responses to the consultation, with 98 people in support. Whilst we are very pleased with the feedback that we have received to date, there is still a process to follow and a final decision will not be taken until later this year”.