Archived decisions

DFES CONSULTATION PAPER "BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE"

1. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has published a consultation paper "Building Schools for the Future" which gives details of proposed major changes to the policy for allocating capital funding to Local Education Authorities. It suggests that from 2005/06 onwards a substantial proportion of available capital resources will be targeted towards replacement and major renewals of secondary school buildings in specified geographical areas.

2. It is clear that overall these proposals will have an adverse effect on levels of funding available for capital building works in Hampshire secondary schools and will be inconsistent with the County Council's interests, which are best served by the current system whereby capital funding follows needs based on local education authorities assessments of survey and other data about their schools. That approach has been underpinned by Asset Management Plans which have been developed over the past few years.

3. Among the points made in the County Council's response to DfES are:

· The Asset Management Plan system and the formula approach for allocating capital funding is working well and there is no need to change it again.


· The proposals represent a tendency towards centralisation to the detriment of local accountability.


· The concentration on areas of deprivation means that resources are likely to be directed to other areas perceived to be more deprived than areas such as Hampshire, which has a need for very significant investment in its school buildings.


· There needs to be a consistent and reliable programme of repairs, maintenance and adaptations to schools over time, for example to replace the components of Hampshire's SCOLA buildings.


· Large local authorities such as Hampshire have the ability to cope with substantial packages of building work and a proven ability to deliver, both on adaptations and new construction; a national body to act as a vehicle for procurement is unlikely to represent any improvement.


· A system of bidding for resources, and/or use of the Private Finance Initiative, is likely to increase uncertainties and lead to short-term decisions on capital investment, to the detriment of Hampshire's capital programme which relies on the effective co-ordination of funding from a variety of sources, for example district councils, schools and the lottery.

4. The DFES proposals envisage funding being targeted on the comprehensive renewal and replacement of secondary schools in specific geographical areas, following a bidding process. It appears likely that resources will be concentrated in urban areas, which is unlikely to favour Hampshire, which may face a shortfall of some £9m by 2005/06 compared with the resources available for capital building work at schools now. The views summarised above were endorsed by the Education Policy Review Committee, and the executive member has therefore agreed that those views should form the basis of the formal response from the County Council to the Department for Education and Skills on their consultation paper "Building Schools for the Future". In addition representations are being made to the Local Government Association and to Hampshire Members of Parliament.

D.G. ALLEN
Executive Member for Education

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