Flintshire County Council will ask its Cabinet next week to approve new statutory consultations on the proposed amalgamation of Saltney Ferry Primary School and Saltney Wood Memorial School. The saltney plan is back before the council after previous consultation exercises on the same proposals were undertaken during 2025.
Claire Homard, the council’s Chief Officer for Education and Youth, said restarting the process will give stakeholders and members of the public another chance to respond before any decision is made. If Cabinet agrees, the council would move into a revised statutory process that could lead to implementation by September 2027.
Saltney Ferry and Saltney Wood
The consultation in Saltney covers two primary schools: Saltney Ferry Primary School and Saltney Wood Memorial School. The council said the proposals aim to reduce the number of surplus places as pupil numbers decline, with all of the schools concerned described as consistently under-subscribed.
Homard said, "Restarting the consultation process will ensure that stakeholders and members of the public have a further opportunity to share their feedback before any decisions are made." She also said, "We would strongly encourage everyone with an interest to take part in the forthcoming consultations and make their views known."
March 2026 halt
The earlier consultations were brought to a halt in March 2026 after a late legal challenge over the Catholic Schools proposals, which could also have affected the Saltney schools consultation. The council sought legal advice, and the time needed to consider it meant the statutory timescales in the School Organisation Code 2018 could no longer be met.
After reviewing the position, the council said it remains of the view that the original proposals should go forward to Cabinet for determination. A new School Organisation Code 2026 has since been published, replacing the code in force when the earlier process stopped.
Cabinet next week
Alongside the Saltney proposal, the Cabinet will be asked to approve new statutory consultations into two school reorganisation proposals. The council said the plans also offer opportunities to strengthen school leadership arrangements, improve the learning environment for pupils and maximise Welsh Government investment through its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.
Homard said, "It was the right decision to cease the original process while the legal challenge was fully considered." She added, "Having now reviewed the position, we remain confident that these proposals represent the right way forward."
