Anger as old school of Tom is pulled down

Mar 22 2008 by Staff Reporter, South Wales Echo

THE bulldozers have moved in and started knocking down Tom Jones’ old school.

Some former pupils were moved to tears as they gathered to watch Trefforest Primary School finally being demolished, two years after a doomed campaign to save it.

Former pupil and governor Cheryl Jarman was furious after seeing furniture from the building being tossed into a skip.

Cheryl stood in Princess Street and watched as a digger scooped up tiny tables, chairs and desks and hurled them into the waiting bin.

The 46-year-old, from Birchley, Treforest, was part of the campaign to save the school which closed in 2006.

Five generations of the mum-of-two’s family have attended the school.

She said: “I was in tears because it was quite upsetting when I saw a welcome sign thrown on a heap. They were ripping things out when I was there.

“Rhondda Cynon Taf council should be ashamed of themselves for what they left in there. Filing cabinets, cupboards, desks, the old benches that we used to use for PE.

“I think it should have been sent on to other schools. If they had not gone to schools there are plenty of charities who would have liked them.”

She added: “Everything was mounted in the middle of a school yard and there was a digger with a grab just picking things up and throwing them in a skip.”

But a spokesman for the local authority claimed as much as possible was given away to nearby schools.

He said: “We also advised the former headteacher that she could donate any unwanted items to charity if she wished.

“Many of the items that remained were old, obsolete and in some cases broken and were unwanted by the various schools who viewed them.”

Plaid Cymru councillor Geraint Day campaigned with Cheryl to keep the school open.

The land is now being developed by Newydd Housing Association.

Mr Day believes the school ‘had a future’. He said: “Losing the school is a big blow to Treforest.”

james.mccarthy@mediawales.co.uk