Calderdale schools given extra government cash for building maintenance

Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker said more than £800,000 was being provided to fund schemes at three academies and a sum of money was also on its way to Calderdale Council for local authority run premises.

The money is for maintenance of school properties and a share of the £855,822 from the fund made available to academies, sixth form colleges and voluntary aided schools in England to transform facilities and improve school buildings will go to Calderdale establishments.

It will be used to replace the hot water and heating system at Greetland Academy, roof refurbishing works at Brooksbank School, Elland, and to renew windows at Crossley Heath School, Halifax.

An additional sum of more than £550,000 has also been allocated for local authority school buildings which the council will use to fund priority repairs, said Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Adam Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge).

Coun Wilkinson said the Department for Education had announced this year’s allocation of funding for school maintenance and for Calderdale the allocation for 2020-21 matches last year’s allocation of £1,253,940.

That amount and the extra allocation were much needed, he said.

“However, we have also been allocated an additional £581,899 to address urgent condition issues.

“Many of Calderdale’s older school buildings are in need of investment and have a number of ongoing and costly maintenance issues.

“We do all we can to ensure problems are addressed and that limited funding is directed where it’s needed most.

“In recent years we have invested in the rebuilding of a number of our worst condition schools, alongside major rewiring works, new and refurbished roofs at a number of our schools, replacement floors and a whole range of pressing maintenance priorities.

“We’ll shortly be commissioning surveys at Council-run schools and this additional funding will be used to support identified priority works,” he said.