A new £7.4m 420 place Welsh medium primary school will be built in Barry after plans were formally approved by the Council's cabinet today.

The decision will see Ysgol Sant Baruc, currently home to 210 pupils, transfer to a new state-of-the-art school building at Barry Waterfront. The new school building will allow Ysgol St Baruc to double in size.

A new 96 place nursery will also be established on the site.

This is the first time a local authority in South Wales has taken the decision to build a Welsh-medium primary school to serve a new housing development.

Cllr Lis Burnett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Education, said:

"This is a pivotal moment for Welsh medium education in the Vale of Glamorgan.

"Demand for Welsh language schooling in Barry has increased by more than a quarter in the last ten years.

"The decision taken today will see a new state-of-the-art facility that not only meets this demand but provides capacity for the future.

"As a Council we are committed to helping Wales hit its target of 1m Welsh speakers by 2050.

"Providing first class learning environments for Welsh language schooling is one of the ways in which we will get more parents to recognise the benefits of a bilingual education."

Mark Bowen, RhAG Vale of Glamorgan, said: "This is one of the most important proposals in the history of Welsh Medium Education as it shows that it can be a central building block in new large housing developments.

"It is a very good day for Ysgol St Baruc and the future of the Welsh language in Barry, especially in the west."

The Council is investing a total of £167m in schools in the Vale as part of its school investment programme.

A consultation exercise run by the Council earlier this year showed strong support for the proposal.

Ysgol St Baruc will move into its new home by September 2021.