CLOSING four Aeron Valley schools to create a new area school at Felinfach is Ceredigion Council’s preferred option even before a consultation on four proposals has been launched, Welsh langauge activists have claimed.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has hit out after the council unveiled proposals that could see schools in Cilcennin, Ciliau Parc, Dihewyd and Felinfach closed and replaced with an area school, under two of four proposals aimed at cutting costs and reducing surplus school places.

The other proposals are to retain schools as they are or just close Cilcennin School.

Ffred Ffransis, of Cymdeithas, said three of the proposals, which will go before the learning communities scrutiny committee on Monday afternoon, were clearly not realistic.

He said: “The officers are going through the motions of considering the four options in the report on the review of education provision in the Aberaeron district.

“It is clear that the first two options - either to keep things as they are or to be willing to close only one school - are not under serious consideration; and it is clear that they have no funds to implement the fourth option, a large new building.

“So why can’t they be honest and say they are in favour of their ‘third option’ - which is to centralise primary education in Dyffryn Aeron at the Felinfach Professional Education Centre, depriving four village communities of their schools?

“The council spent money on their own new expensive office headquarters in Aberystwyth, and the majority of jobs have moved there: now Welsh rural communities need to pay the price.”