County Hall shows it has no grip on its own buildings

4.27.40pm GMT Thu 31st May 2007

A County Council report into 5 schools has revealed that each of them require improvements to their premises at costs of between £0.5 and £1.3 million

Lib Dem County Councillor Susan Gaszczak was astounded when she read that five middle schools need just under £4m spent on them. The five schools are undergoing a review of surplus places. As part of the review the Tory run County Council looked at the condition of the school buildings. The reports going to Children and Young Peoples Select Committee on the 5th June state that the following schools need money spent on them.

Abbey Middle School £584,000

Brewers Hill Middle School £679,000

Brooklands Middle School £1,367,000

Five Oaks Middle School £655,000

Woodside Middle School £581,000

All but one of the schools listed have no structural defects. Brooklands Middle School, the report states, 'suffers from significant structural defects'.

These reports have been issued within a week of the Tory run County Council admitting that Northfields Upper School requires £3m of capital expenditure. The Tory Executive, however, are only doing a quick short term fix, spending £1.63m. County Hall has also got major money being spent on it as it has had years of under investment.

County Councillor Susan Gaszczak, Lib Dem Education Spokesperson said 'This is shocking, I knew the County Council had little grip on what assets it has but disgraceful to announce that of the sites it clearly owns there is so much work to be done. It also makes you wonder how much the other 115 schools need spent on them.'

'Governing Bodies and schools have to deliver education in the premises the county provides, and although the day to day running and health and safety of the grounds is the governing body's responsibility, the funding provided is given by the Council. That funding has obviously been inadequate.'