Councillors have backed the closure of a small rural school near Tegryn which has left campaigners “heartbroken” and “let down by those elected to represent them”.

At its March meeting, Pembrokeshire County Council members backed a recommendation that Director of Education be authorised to publish a Statutory Notice to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn.

Councillors had previously heard here has been a significant decline in the school’s pupil population during the period 2015-2025, with no indication that this will be significantly reversed during the next five or six years.

The statutory notice followed a consultation on the proposals, and a hearing of a petition opposing the potential closure, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, with impassioned pleas to keep the school open.

Ysgol Clydau has been described as “more than just a school; it’s a hub for community life, offering a safe and welcoming space for children, families and residents of all ages,” with those opposing closure warning: “Its closure will isolate our community, leading to a decline in population and a weakening of our social fabric.”

At a special extraordinary council meeting held on 15 June, members of Pembrokeshire County Council were asked to consider a report on a summary of 126 objections received in respect of the proposal to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, which included an option to halt the closure

However, it was recommended, in a report present by deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller, who now also has responsibility for education, for the discontinuation be proceeded with.

At the meeting, local member Cllr Iwan Ward – who has championed the fight to keep Ysgol Clydau open – questioned the value of the consultation, saying it was “supposed to be an opportunity to listen and reflect on alternative viewpoints,” adding: “They deserve to know their voices matter.”

He said viable alternatives to closure had “not been fully explored.”

Members voted by 32 votes to 21 to back the school’s closure.

Speaking after the meeting, campaign group Save Ysgol Clydau – Cadw Clydau yn Gardarn said: “Many of us feel that those making this decision spoke about budgets, statistics and percentages, but failed to understand what Ysgol Clydau truly is.

“It is not simply a school.

“It is a community.

“It is the heart of a Welsh-speaking rural area.

“It is a place where children felt safe, supported, understood and valued. Today, that has been taken away.”

Welsh language campaigners Cymdeithas yr Iaith said: “One of the councillors said that closing rural schools is a symptom of the wider problem of depopulation.

“It is true that the decline in pupil numbers is a symptom, and one that is common to several counties, but rather than addressing the wider problem, the council decided to close the school today.

“Similarly, maintaining and developing rural schools is not the only solution to this, but it is a fundamental part of the solution.

“There are plans to build more affordable housing in the village of Tegryn, but what is the point of those houses without schools for children?”