Construction has officially begun on Pembrokeshire County Council’s latest school building project.

A 'Turf-Cutting' ceremony was held on Monday, July 29, at the site of Portfield School in Haverfordwest.

Held to mark the formal start of construction works, the traditional ceremony is thought to bring luck to the £28.8m project which is being funded by the Welsh Government through its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, and Pembrokeshire County Council.

The redevelopment of the school, which will include the replacement of the current “lower school” building, and the refurbishment of the school’s sixth form centre, is due for completion in the spring of 2026.

Subsequently, the “lower school” building will be demolished to pave the way for a new children’s residential centre, along with a refurbishment of the adjacent Holly House Respite Centre.

Cllr Guy Woodham, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language, said: “Today is a landmark in the development of Portfield School.

“It is a timely reminder that in partnership with Welsh Government, through the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, we continue to invest in the future of our learners and our community, and in the context of this project, our most vulnerable learners.

“All our learners deserve the best provision we can provide, and I am grateful to the project team who have worked hard to bring this project to fruition, particularly during a period which has seen construction costs escalate due to national and global events. I look forward to the new facilities becoming operational in April 2026.”

The new facilities will include an array of specialist therapy rooms which will be compatible with the range of additional needs of learners, and a range of “safe spaces”, with flexible breakout and sensory spaces, and dedicated outdoor areas, all of which will provide appropriate stimuli or mitigation against the impacts of various anxiety triggers. In addition, a multi-use games area will be provided which will also be available for use by the neighbouring Waldo Williams Primary School.

Rob Williams, Area Director for contractors Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd, said: “We are delighted to have begun work on the redevelopment of Portfield School, an ambitious project which will deliver a modern special school campus for Pembrokeshire.

“We are grateful to Pembrokeshire County Council and all of our project partners for helping us to reach this exciting milestone, and look forward to seeing the finished building.”

Portfield School Chair of Governors, Mrs Samantha Lawrence, added: “From the extensive client engagement and the plans provided, this promises to become a fantastic teaching and learning environment and will provide much needed modern facilities for a growing number of learners in this sector.

“Our thanks go to Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Government for supporting this project, and to the whole project team for the tremendous thought put into the site and buildings development so far, and for listening to us so that the best possible facilities are put in place for our learners; we simply cannot wait to move in.”