Multi-million pound investment in school buildings

Millions of pounds are to be spent in more than 20 city schools as part of the council’s latest investment in school maintenance improvements.

The Council’s Cabinet has agreed a £4 million Building Capital Maintenance Programme for 2016/2017 to repair and keep safe its assets across the city.

The lion’s share of the funds are being dedicated to spending in schools and are in addition to almost £1m of extra funding for school improvements announced as part of the council’s budget last month.

And it’s on top of millions of pounds of match funding set aside for new school builds and refurbishments as part of its 21^st Century schools programme which has seen the opening of new primary schools for Gowerton and Burlais.

The maintenance programme agreed at Cabinet includes major roofing schemes for Plasmarl and Clase Primaries, a boiler house refurbishment to improve heating at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, a heating scheme for Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn and the latest phase of the rewiring of electrics at Pontarddulais Primary School.

Apart from the spending on schools, Cabinet has also set aside £600,000 for emergency repairs and a further £230,000 for fire risk assessment works on Council-owned premises.

Jen Raynor, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Education and pupil attainment are a priority for this local authority and one of the ways we are doing this is investing in schools environments to support quality learning.

“The extra £1m of funding agreed by Council last month has been welcomed by headteachers. This latest investment will provide essential repairs to sustain school buildings, improve energy efficiency and help to ensure that school premises are fit for purpose and meet the needs of pupils.”