The Petition of residents of the Borough of Poole,
Declares that Hillbourne School in Creekmoor Ward is in urgent need of refurbishment.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons asks the Department for Education to make the school the highest priority for resources as they become available.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr Robert Syms, Official Report, 8 March 2011; Vol. 524, c. 878.]
[P000895]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Education:
On 20 October, the Chancellor announced that Department for Education’s capital budget would be £15.8 billion over the four-year comprehensive spending review period. This settlement is extremely tight, with a 60% reduction in 2014-15 compared to 2010-11. Over the next few years our priority is to reduce the country’s budget deficit. This is essential, as the amount we are currently spending on debt interest payments could be used to rebuild or refurbish 10 schools every day.
We know that there are schools such as Hillbourne School in need of refurbishment, which have missed out from previous Government capital programmes, and that people feel they have therefore been treated unfairly.
The Capital Review, recently published on the DFE website, recommends that funding for capital should be directed at ensuring there are enough school places available locally and addressing poor condition. Although the Government are yet to respond to the review we are clear that a new system should prioritise areas which are experiencing high pressures to increase the number of school places, and those with buildings in the most need of repair.
Even where funding is tight, it is essential that buildings and equipment are properly maintained, to ensure the health and safety standards are met, and to prevent a backlog of decay building up that is expensive to address. Therefore, in 2011-12, £1,337 million will be available for capital maintenance for schools, with over £1 billion being allocated for local authorities to prioritise to maintenance needs. In addition, £195 million will be allocated directly to schools for their own use.
The capital allocation for 2011-12 for Poole borough council and its schools was announced on 13 December. The council will now need to consider how it prioritises the available funding, having regard to the building needs of the schools in its area.