The Welsh Government has today announced an additional £50m
towards improvements to school buildings across Wales.
The capital funding will allow local authorities to focus on
large-scale maintenance projects, such as replacement roofs,
new window systems or heating and ventilation works, rather
than small scale routine repairs.
The funding is in addition to the Welsh Government’s
21st century Schools and Colleges programme, which
has seen 170 new schools or colleges built in its first phase,
with a further 43 projects already approved for its second
phase.
Further Education colleges have already been allocated an extra
£10m for maintenance and small scale projects this year.
, the Education Minister, said:
“Our 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme has
seen new school building projects developed right across Wales,
providing first class facilities for our learners.
“While we continue to invest in brand new schools, I also
recognise the pressures local authorities are under to maintain
our existing school estate. This funding will help local
authorities undertake urgent work to keep our school estate in
good shape for the future.”
Councillor Ian Roberts (Flintshire), Welsh Local Government
Association's Education Spokesperson, said:
“We welcome this extra £50m funding which will help local
authorities to maintain their school estates. This is in
addition to the wider 21st Century Schools and
Colleges Programme, which has seen so many new buildings being
built in communities across Wales to enhance learners’
education experience. Such a transformative work programme
would not have been possible without strong partnership working
between local authorities and Welsh Government, and I look
forward to continuing that joint effort into the next phase of
the programme.”
