Cwmgors primary school closed in 2015 after years of protest. It is a cherished building dating from 1912 and one of the last remaining community spaces. We are now working with other local people to repurpose it as a zero-carbon community hub: Hwb y Gors.
Cwmgors primary school closed in 2015 after years of protest. It is a cherished building dating from 1912 and one of the last remaining community spaces. We are now working with other local people to repurpose it as a zero-carbon community hub: Hwb y Gors.
We have raised £1.9 million for its refurbishment and have been working hard for two years, keeping the much-loved features of the school and developing a community café, co-working studios and enterprise spaces, a community electric transport scheme, a hall and education facilities and community garden. Local people have been involved in its recreation, not only in decision-making but also in making stained glass windows, tiles, and a 10 metre-long heritage quilt in memory of the school.
Hwb y Gors has 90kW of solar on the roof and a 50kW ground source heating system. The external walls are covered in cork insulation and finished in traditional lime.