£2.3bn programme launched to upgrade crumbling schools

MORE than 100 crumbling and outdated school and college buildings are to rebuilt or upgraded under a bumper £2.3bn programme unveiled by the Welsh Government on Friday.

The package has been earmarked to modernise buildings. It marks the second wave of investment in the government’s long-term capital investment programme, the 21st Century Schools and Education Programme.

Details of which schools and colleges will be modernised will be announced later, in conjunction with local councils, the Welsh Government said.

Band A of the 21st Century Schools and Education Programme will finish in 2019 after a £1.4bn spend over fiveyears.

This second wave of investment, Band B, which starts in 2019, comprises of two funding streams; one using traditional capital, and one using revenue funding, via a new form of Public Private Partnership called the Mutual Investment Model (MIM). Local authorities and further education institutions have proposed £2.3bn of projects, to meet Band B plans of the programme. These include building schemes to address growth in demand for Welsh medium education, expanding schools and colleges in areas where there is increased demand and making assets available for community use.

The Welsh Government said it is committed to supporting all these projects, subject to approval of business cases. Announcing the package on a visit to open Ysgol Cybi, a new 540 place Welsh medium primary school in Holyhead delivered by £7.5m of Band A funding, Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: “The first wave of funding provided though the programme will see investment of more than £1.4bn over the five year period ending 2019, supporting the rebuild and refurbishment of more than 150 schools and colleges across the Wales.

“I am delighted to announce a second wave of investment for the programme, which begins in April 2019.

“We will work closely with our partners to agree the pace of delivery and put in place investment plans that are affordable and meet our shared ambition to create sustainable learning environments that meet the needs of our communities.”

A total of 152 projects have been approved under the first wave of work – Band A – of which 83 have been completed and 45 are under construction.