Upcoming Events :
Seminar: Outsourcing and Contract Procurement
Tue 28 Feb 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Plans for secondary schools 'frozen under new government'
Mon 17 May 2010
Measures introduced under the Labour government to build new secondary schools in England have been placed under review by the coalition.
The programme, which is worth £55 billion, has been put on hold, with sources telling the Guardian that there is a drive to make cuts from the £8.5 billion annual budget for new schools.
It is though that schools which have entered into the Building Schools for the Future scheme that have not named their contractor will now lose out on their funding, possibly including the £480 million allocated by the former government during its final weeks in power.
The projects that are likely to be affected by the freeze include plans for new builds and refurbishments in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cornwall, plus a £420 million programme in Cumbria that was approved by Ed Balls in April.
Last month, the Institute for Public Policy Research suggested that public spending levels in the UK could widen in coming years, particularly in the event of any spending cuts.
Andrea Squires, partner at Winckworth Sherwood solicitors said: "The Government is in danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water. The BSF programme has never just been about building schools but delivering strategic change across entire school estates.
"Whilst there is always scope to make efficiency savings, a significant scaling back of the programme is likely to cost the Government dearly. Major investment both by the private sector and local authorities will be put at risk if the review is not concluded swiftly."
