New Persimmon-built Cardiff primary school now open

A brand-new home for St Mellons Church in Wales Primary School opened its doors for the very first time this week, as staff and pupils arrived for the start of term at the new build £6m school, located at Persimmon’s St Edeyrns development.

The new school has relocated from its former site in Llanrumney and is one of two new build schools to open this week, delivered as part of Cardiff's Local Development Plan (LDP) by Halsall Construction on behalf of Persimmon.

The new St Mellons CIW Primary School is one form of entry, accommodating 210 pupils including a 48 place part-time nursery with the opportunity to expand to a two-form entry (420 place) in the future. There is a community facility linked to the school with private entrance and interconnecting entrance providing benefits to the wider community.

Serving parts of Pontprennau and Old St Mellons, the school is located east of the Pontprennau link road. The relocation of St Mellons CIW Primary School was part of a strategic solution to rebalance primary school provision in parts of North East Cardiff due to the issue of surplus primary school places in the Llanrumney area, and the need for additional places in Old St Mellons and parts of Pontprennau, when the St Edeyrns housing development is complete.

The multi-phase development lies within the St Edeyrns area where over 1,000 new homes will be built, as well as a district centre, community facility, and allotments. Persimmon has made substantial contributions to the local community, including over £4m bus service contribution, £312,000 in highways and transport improvements, £386,000 for the Rhymney Trail improvement contribution, and an affordable housing contribution of just under £10m to the local authority.

St Edeyrns is a development in the North East of the city as part of Cardiff's Local Development Plan (LDP), which sets out the infrastructure required to facilitate and sustain the city's growth up to 2026. The school has been as part of the planning agreement with the Council, and part funded through Section 106 contributions.

Lee Woodfine, Managing Director of Homes East Wales region, said:

"Persimmon Homes East Wales is delighted to have delivered this new school in St Edeyrns as part of our commitment to leaving a positive and lasting legacy where we build.

"It's important to us that we create a strong sense of place at our developments, meaning not just building high-quality homes but also communities where people feel at home and have access to amenities on their doorstep.

"St Mellons CIW Primary School will provide educational opportunities for generations to come, and Persimmon is proud to have played our part working with key partners, Halsall and Cardiff Council, to deliver the new school at St Edeyrns."

Cabinet Member for Education Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said:

"This brand new school is the start of an exciting chapter for St Mellons CIW Primary School, providing children from Old St Mellons, Pontprennau, and Llanrumney with a modern, efficient and inspiring learning environment.

"St Edeyrns is already a very popular development, so this lovely new school building in its new location, will help meet the increase in demand for school places in the area. As well ensuring availability of school places, the new school boasts community facilities providing opportunities for local people to access, and I very much look forward to seeing the school develop, grow and making the school an asset at the heart of its community."

Headteacher Jane Marchesi said:

"Everyone at St Mellons CIW Primary is very excited to celebrate this new chapter in the school's history, building on a foundation of many happy memories of school life in Llanrumney and Old St Mellons.

"We would like to thank the huge team of people who have been working so hard to make sure the building is such a fabulous environment for our pupils and we are excited about all the opportunities this will offer our pupils, families and the local community. It is a privilege to be a key facility at the heart of this community and we are looking forward to welcoming all to our school family."

Halsall Managing Director, Chris Faulkner said:

“Halsall Construction working with Persimmon Homes and Cardiff Council, are delighted to have completed the Design and Build of St Mellons Church in Wales Primary School. The entire team has worked together and we are extremely proud to have delivered this wonderful building for the school to move to and, teach from the beginning of the Autumn Term'.”