AROUND 100 people attended a consultation event at  Dyffryn Banw County Primary (CP) School  in Llangadfan on Monday, October 15.

Due to falling numbers the future of both  Dyffryn Banw CP School in Llangadfan and Llanerfyl Church in Wales (CIW) School is in the balance with one school expected to close soon.

The area is one of the heartlands of the Welsh language in Powys.

Back in July it had been expected that the Powys Cabinet would decide to close  Dyffryn Banw with pupils transferred to Llanerfyl, which is two-and-a-half miles away.

But they decided to hold a consultation to look at all the options.

This month consultation drop-in sessions have been held at both Dyffryn Banw and Llanerfyl.

Dyffryn Banw chairman of governors Richard Tudor said: "It's important that we are given this opportunity to have our say and both schools have the same opportunity.

"A level playing field is what we wanted.

"I know whichever school is picked, the numbers of pupils will be around 50 to 60 which is the critical mass that you need for a school.

"And there is enough room at this school to cater to those numbers.

"A few children from the area have gone to schools in Meifod or Llanfair Caereinion due to the uncertainty of what's going to happen to both schools."

The school doubles up as a community centre and the Dyffryn Banw football team use the facilities there to change before playing their matches in  Mid-Wales League Two.

The community centre has been the meeting point for Ysgol Theatr Maldwyn and is expected to host next years Powys Eisteddfod.

Llangadfan resident Lyn Williams, who was at the consultation, said: "Councillors are paid to make decisions like this, they should not be pitting areas against each other."

The consultation will runs until November 5 and has one main question:

To establish a new school either at:

a) on the current site of Banw County Pirmary school or

b) on the current site of Llanerfyl Church in Wales Foundation School

Following the consultation, a report will be produce gauging the feedback from the consultation.

The Cabinet will consider that report and will decided on a course of action in early 2019.

There would then be a statutory period of 28 days to submit objections and it is expected that a final decision would be made by the end of the 2018/19 academic year.

Dyffryn Banwy County Councillor and Education Cabinet member, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander, is a school governor at Llanerfyl.

She has declared an interest in the issue and is just acting as a local councillor.