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A plan to expand primary schools in Cardiff could be delayed after the number of places for Welsh speakers was underestimated.

Cardiff council will be discussing the proposals to postpone expansion of schools in Splott at their next Cabinet meeting.

In March 2016, the council approved proposals to increase the capacity of Ysgol Glan Morfa, in Moorland Road, from 210 places to 420 places.

As part of the proposals, Ysgol Glan Morfa would transfer to a new build primary school on a new site at the Maltings from September 2017.

Utilising the empty buildings in Moorland Road, the council also approved the expansion of Moorland Primary School from 382 places to 630 places.

Projections for demand

Before the decision was made by the council, it considered a report with projections for demand in 2016/17 for school places in Splott and Adamsdown .

The report predicted a need for 400 places overall, including 259 English-medium and 49 Welsh-medium places.

However, the council has now received new figures which suggest the total demand for primary school places in the Splott and Adamsdown area will fall to 370 in September 2017, with the demand for English-medium places falling to 229, which could further fall to 198 places in 2018.

A recent council report, to go before Cabinet at their next meeting, stated that the projection for demand of Welsh-medium places was “artificially low” because of projections taking into account the “capping-off” of demand for places at Ysgol Glan Morfa in recent years.

It added: “Based on admission preference information, it is anticipated that the forecast demand for Welsh-medium places at Ysgol Glan Morfa would be 15-20% greater, and the demand for English-medium community school places would be accordingly reduced.”

Expansion deferred

As a result of the new projection, it has been proposed by council officers that the plan to expand Moorland Primary School from September 2017, should be deferred for a year.

It added that this should be kept under review to take account of updated population and school preference date, which will be available in Spring 2017.

Also, the expected completion date for the delivery of the new build school for Ysgol Glan Morfa would be deferred until Spring 2018, with occupation after the Easter break.

If the proposals are approved, the report says it would increase the number of Welsh-medium nursery and primary places available in the Splott and Adamsdown area.

If the council approve the proposals, they will have to agree the modifications with the Welsh Government .

The Cabinet meeting takes place on Monday.