South West Schools built cheaper and faster under flagship scheme
The Government’s flagship school building initiative has cut the cost of school construction projects by more than a third and is delivering them faster than ever before – figures out today show.
A vital part of the Government’s long term plan for education is raising the standard of schools so that thousands of pupils and teachers benefit from high-quality, fit for purpose facilities. These improved facilities will help children learn, so they can reach their full potential and go on and succeed in life.
Thanks to the £2.4 billion investment in the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), which will see 260 of the most dilapidated schools nationally - including 16 in the South West - rebuilt or refurbished, school building projects are costing 35 per cent less than those built under the previous school building initiative - the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
Under PSBP the average cost of rebuilding a secondary school is around £15 million – with each one saving around £5 million of taxpayers’ money.
The BSF was an expensive and wasteful programme that saw each school designed separately, costing unnecessary millions and that did not prioritise the most dilapidated schools. Under the BSF it took three years for building work to begin. Under the PSBP this time has been slashed to around one year.
Figures also reveal that the Government expects to see around a £7 billion boost for the UK economy from the initiative - based on projections from the CBI that show that for every £1 spent on construction projects around £3 of economic activity will be generated.
The PSBP is driving economic growth through:
- Employment: the 260 PSBP school construction projects will typically employ around 39,000 people over the programme’s lifetime.
- Regional development: investment in the school building programme is benefiting every region across England. 16 dilapidated school buildings are being rebuilt or refurbished across the South West with around a £93 million investment in the region.
- Opportunities for SMEs: local, small and medium size enterprises have greater opportunity to be subcontracted work. On average a PSBP school project will contract out work to around 35 companies, helping diversify the supply chain and contribute to the local economy.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “Investing in the Priority School Building Programme is not only delivering great new schools that will help prepare thousands of young people for life in modern Britain, but it is also a key part of our long term economic plan to secure a stronger economy, creating jobs and security for hardworking people.
“It is estimated that for every £1 we spend on construction projects we are generating around £3 in economic activity. So our £2.4 billion investment will contribute more than £7 billion in economic growth through employment, local business and regional growth opportunities.
“We’re also making sure each school is built efficiently so that we get value for money for the taxpayer while delivering excellent schools for pupils and teachers.”
Given the success of the PSBP, the Government has announced a second phase of the programme, worth around £2 billion. Applications are currently being considered and successful applicants will be confirmed early next year.
