£5m set aside to improve Telford schools
Thursday 21st July 2011, 6:01PM BST.
A cashpot of nearly £5 million has been set aside to tackle problems in Telford’s primary schools, including insect-infested kitchens and removing asbestos from older buildings.
Of the fund, £60,000 is to be spent on installing fly screens in the kitchens of 28 primary schools.
A council report to cabinet says the cash is to “address a serious problem of insect infestation in a number of school kitchens”.
Telford & Wrekin Council is planning to pump £4.6 million into borough schools as part of the Schools Capital Programme, a £1.2 million reduction since 2010 because of Government cuts
In the report, recommended for approval when it goes before full council on Tuesday, officers list a raft of measures needed to help Telford primary schools.
It is recommended £120,000 should be given to schools affected by asbestos.
Council chiefs say this is part of an ongoing cycle of refurbishment.
Schools mentioned in the report include Newdale Primary, which is in line for £722,000 to expand class numbers, Lilleshall Primary could get £60,000 to address concerns over staffing and health and safety risks, and Donnington Wood Junior school may be given £100,000 to fix a roof.
Paul Watling, Telford & Wrekin cabinet member for children and young people, said: “In common with most central Government funding, the school capital allocations for 2011/12 have been reduced.
“The total of these allocations in 2011/12 is £4.6 million, which is a reduction of £1.2 million from the previous year.”
He added that the council also had a duty to address serious health and safety priorities. This included maintenance work.
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….how many parents knew that their children’s schools had “insect-infested kitchens”?
A take-away, restaurant or commercial food-processing plant would (or could) be prosecuted for this – the council is responsible for public health – so why has this been allowed to happen?
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Yes, isn’t it strange how the council can take great delight in monitoring the state of other business’s hygene and trading standards and yet turn a blind eye to it’s own shortcomings and I don’t just mean food hygene either.
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