Telford schools’ revamp on track despite cuts

The new Abraham Darby Sports and Learning Community is taking shape.

A £200 million programme to revamp every secondary school in Telford & Wrekin remains on track today despite The Government’s decision to massively scale back a building programme.

Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday announced that more than 700 schools in England will not be rebuilt or refurbished under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme launched by the former Labour Government.

The programme has been beset by delays and red tape.

Contracts were signed in May for the building of the new £35 million Abraham Darby Sports and Learning Community in Telford as part of the BSF initiative.

This remains safe as do all other projects in the borough.

There is one BSF scheme in the Shropshire Council area — the redevlopement of the William Brookes School at Much Wenlock.

It is nearing completion and is also unaffected.

Mr Gove said: “In light of the public finances it would have been irresponsible to carry on regardless with an inflexible and needlessly complex programme.”

General Secretary Chris Keates, General Secretary of the largest teacher’s union NASUWT, said the scale back would devastate parents and schools.

View more: Telford & Wrekin Council news.

1
Peter

July 7, 2010 at 09:14

Whilst I’m pleased for parents, staff and children associated with the schools concerned, it should be understood that there is an element of gerrymandering in these decisions.

The Tories have a fragile council in Telford, which they’d like to keep, so they’re not going to take the hatchet to schools locally. However in other areas of the country where Labour hold power locally it’s been a different story.

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2
Andy

July 7, 2010 at 11:24

How many people live in the area?

250,000? If so then the council are spending £800 per person on this… all on the tick, no doubt, so the interest payments alone are a not-insignificant proportion of your council tax. Lets not even consider the proportion of the 250,000 in the area who actually pay full council tax!

No wonder there is no money for bin men, youth clubs or libraries! Well done Telford council!

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3
Richard Holmes

July 7, 2010 at 22:27

Andy,

Sorry, you have it totally wrong. That 200 million pounds comes from Central Government, NOT from your Council Tax. Hardly any of your Council Tax is going towards the BSF programme in Telford. Most of the money is coming from national taxes paid for by taxpayers in other parts of the UK who are cross-funding new schools in Telford. Whether you regard this as a good or bad thing, you have to hand it to Telford & Wrekin Council that they have cleverly managed to draw a vast amount of education investment into the town.

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4
Kevin

July 12, 2010 at 16:10

This is a time for celebration. I am so pleased that the children of Telford will have facilities which allow them to be taught in a proper environment. Politics will always cause us to have doubts about the motivation but do not doubt that this is what was needed. NOw celebrate – get involved with your local school and help them build on this success.

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