Llanfyllin's County Councillor has enthusiastically backed plans for a new 'super-school' in the town.

Speaking at last week's full council meeting Cllr Peter Lewis said the council's decision to launch a consultation on plans to amalgamate Llanfyllin's Primary and High schools marked the "end of uncertainty" which has hung over both schools for a decade.

"It has taken 10 long years since the policy of school modernisation was discussed and Llanfyllin has taken knock after knock after knock, " he said.

"I believe this next step will bring the beginning of the end of uncertainty for the teachers , pupils and parents , which has hung over us for the last 10 years, by securing the future Bilingual Education Provision in the North of Powys at Llanfyllin."

Governors believe combining Llanfyllin Secondary School and Llanfyllin County Primary School into a new four-18 school would address falling numbers at both sites, which are predicted to drop from 844 pupils in January next year to 702 by January 2023.

Llanfyllin would join Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth as only the county's second 'all-through' school.

Cllr Lewis, who is a governor on both school boards, said the ambitious plan could be a template for other schools in the area.

"By supporting a through school we can begin to redraw the future of education in North Powys.

"It would bring a new dawn for all the feeder schools in the catchment working along side Llanfyllin through school with all the education provision and facilities it will provide.

"I believe there should be no limit to our ambitions if the investment is provided."

Cllr Lewis also said the move could help stop the flow of sixth-form students into English colleges at nearby sites in Oswestry and Shrewsbury.

No building work is expected to take place with the school expected to be co-located across the existing buildings.

The issue will now go out for consultation before being brought back back in front of cabinet for a final decision, with the target date for the opening of the new school as September 1, 2020.