GOVERNORS at a school, which was under threat of closure, hope to work with a county council to find a viable plan to safeguard its future.

Plans to close Gwernyfed High School near Hay-on-Wye were shelved in July, following a legal challenge from a parents based on Powys County Council's failure to carry out a community-wide consultation process.

As part of its proposals for Secondary School Reorganisation, the county council revealed earlier in the year it wanted to close Gwernyfed and Brecon High School and build a £50m campus in Brecon.

A meeting was held last week between Gwernyfed school governors, headteacher John Williams and council representatives.

Mr Williams told concerned parents and members of the public creating a new school reorganisation policy could take Powys over a year.

But he warned “all options” were still on the table, saying: “That means everything from the status quo – staying as we are – all the way through to federating or merging schools, or even closure.

“It could be the end of 2016, or the beginning of 2017, before a final recommendation is made."

Chairman of governors Reverend Ian Charlesworth told the meeting this was not a time for the school’s supporters to rest on their laurels.

He said: “Powys still has a problem they want to solve - there’s nothing to be ‘against’ at the moment, which is a bit of a risk, so it’s important we don’t slip into apathy."

Working groups created to fight Powys’ original closure plans will be meeting in the near future to discuss the creation of their own community-wide impact assessments to present to Powys County Council.

Any stakeholders – including parents, businesses, medical practitioners, and sports clubs and associations – who wish to have a say can get in touch with the school.

John Evans, communications manager for the council, said: "As part of the council’s school review process, meetings were held with the governing bodies, head teachers and local members of members of affected schools on September 21 with a report due back to cabinet later in the year."