Schools in disrepair urged to bid for funding

The East Riding missed out on millions of pounds of funding through the Building Schools for the Future programme last year, despite making an “expression of interest” for up to £80m.

But now Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said the area should try to take advantage of a new privately financed scheme that will be open to schools, academies and local authorities which can demonstrate the greatest need.

He said: “I am pleased that the Government is providing funding for school facilities and making sure it goes to those areas with buildings in the worst shape. For too long we have allowed funding to be driven by political considerations rather than the disrepair of the buildings in the area. It was time for a change.”

Mr Stuart also criticised the BSF programme, which is seeing almost £380m being pumped into neighbouring authority Hull that will see every secondary school in the city either rebuilt or refurbished over the next two years.

Mr Stuart said: “Building Schools for the Future achieved too little at too great a cost. It is right that we should be moving forward with a programme that puts the focus on schools in the worst condition.”

The Tory MP also backed the coalition Government’s aim to reduce bureaucracy and costs in school building schemes.

“We need to limit red tape and provide the best value for money when it comes to schools. Doing anything less is a disservice to the children who are this country’s future,” he said.

The East Riding failed to meet the BSF funding criteria last year because its pupils were deemed to be performing too well, and the area did not have high enough levels of deprivation, although five schools were in urgent need of repair.

The borough was 46 out of 70 on the BSF priority list.