The former Tonmawr Primary School is set to be demolished to make way for a housing development of seven new homes. The project, approved by Neath Port Talbot Council's planning officers, will see the old school buildings off Tonmawr Road in Tonmawr cleared for residential purposes.
School Closed Since 2015
The village school closed permanently in 2015, following reports of a high number of unfilled places. Pupils who would have attended were sent to Crynallt Primary School instead.
The site is centrally located within the village, about four miles from Neath, in a predominantly residential area featuring a wide range of dwelling designs and styles. The vacant land, elevated above the main road, currently contains a number of "redundant single-storey school buildings" as well as ancillary structures and areas of hard-standing used for parking and a playground.
Approved Planning Application
The approved application stated: "Full planning permission is sought for the demolition of the existing former school buildings and the redevelopment of the site for residential purposes comprising 7 dwelling-houses, together with associated access, parking, landscaping and infrastructure works."
It added: "The proposed development involves the clearance of the existing vacant school structures and hard standing areas to facilitate a residential layout arranged across the previously developed parts of the site. The dwellings are proposed as a mix of house types designed to respond to the site's sloping topography and the established residential character of the surrounding area."
Access and Parking Plans
Vehicular access to serve the development would be taken from Tonmawr Road, with the creation of internal access roads, parking areas and private residential curtilages within the site. Each home would also be provided with off-street parking and private amenity space once completed.
The application was submitted in 2023, though the scale of development was reduced from ten dwellings to seven due to constraints on accessing the site. It was given the go-ahead by Neath Port Talbot Council's planning officers as part of their delegated decisions made between September and October 2026.
