PRIMARY schools threatened with closure have been given a stay of execution by Anglesey council officials.

The council’s executive was expected to rubber-stamp the closures of Ysgol Beaumaris and Ysgol Talwrn, and a demonstration against shutting the schools was held outside the council headquarters in Llangefni.

But the education portfolio holder asked for a delay until new consultations are carried out. Opposition members had questioned the decision to consult for a third time on the closure of Ysgol Talwrn, which council officers have blamed on an administrative technicality. Ysgol Talwrn currently has 43 pupils – close to its capacity of 49 – but was expected to shut and have its pupils moved to an extended Ysgol y Graig in nearby Llangefni. The authority’s monitoring officer recommended another public consultation should take place, as the consultation report had not been published within 13 weeks of the previous consultation ending.

Cllr Bryan Owen, leader of the Annibynwyr Môn opposition group, said: "There’s something not right if we have to go out for the third time and consult in the Llangefni area once again."

Education chief Cllr Meirion Jones asked members to defer any decision on Ysgol Beaumaris. The school has 50 pupils with a capacity of 160. The authority is expected to ask parents to send their children to Ysgol Llandegfan or Ysgol Llangoed. Cllr Jones confirmed, that the new consultation would look at a proposal to shut Ysgol Llangoed, as an alternative.

Cllr Lewis Davies, who lives in Llangoed said that, as one of the three councillors for the Seiriol ward:

"I’ve been supporting all the schools in the ward, so the decision made today will make it a bit difficult for me as I back all three being kept open."

The other councillors for the ward, Carwyn Jones and Alun Roberts, also said they wanted neither Beaumaris nor Llangoed to be shut.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Meirion Jones said: “We will now revisit the consultation process. We will take into account comments received from Estyn; members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee; Friends of Ysgol Beaumaris and other members of the local community in preparing a new consultation document which will focus on whether to close Ysgol Beaumaris or Ysgol Llangoed."