Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the cost of relocating flood defences to enable a school to be built on the Bowring sports ground SE12; and if he will make a statement.

As is usual when developing proposals for a new free school, the department has undertaken various site surveys and consultations. This has informed the development of the design and provided an estimate of construction costs for the proposed new school. In this case, this includes investigating options and obtaining estimated costs to relocate part of the existing flood defences at the former Bowring Sports Ground.

At this stage, the estimated cost to relocate the existing flood defences is approximately £604,000. The proposals remain, however, subject to obtaining planning permission and the procurement of a building contractor. As such, this figure will be subject to further refinement as the plans are developed. When planning approval is achieved, the department will procure a contractor to construct the new school, and construction costs will be agreed at that time.