Parents of pupils forced to attend other schools in September after Llandinam school closes this summer should be given financial assistance from Powys County Council to buy new school uniforms, the local councillor has said.

Reform UK’s Cllr Karl Lewis wants to know what financial help is in place to help the parents of children attending the now doomed Llandinam primary school.

Cllr Lewis (Llandinam with Dolfor) has asked the question to education portfolio holder Cllr James Gibson-Watt.

Cllr Lewis said: “Given the egregious and myopic decision to close Llandinam school—a lamentable act of short-termism that will prove deleterious to the educational formation of the children and the wider community of Llandinam, what practical financial support will be extended to affected families to offset the cost of purchasing new school uniforms for the children’s transition to alternative schools?”

“It must be remembered that this disruption is in no way the fault of the families involved.

“They are being forced to navigate a crisis entirely of this cabinet’s making.

“To compound this, these families are now being compelled to absorb the punitive financial burden of procuring entirely new uniforms as a direct consequence of your administration’s flawed policy.”

He asks if the cabinet “accept its moral and fiduciary responsibility” to provide “immediate financial restitution” to all of these households?

Cllr Lewis said: “I demand to know what specific mechanisms of support are being put in place to ensure that these families are not left to shoulder this unnecessary and avoidable cost.”

In March the cabinet rubberstamped the decision to close Llandinam school at the end of August – despite overwhelming opposition to the proposal.

With 35 pupils the school was deemed to be too small to be able to deliver the new curriculum.

Pupils are expected to attend other schools in the area from September.