BSF gets the axe

Released 05/07/2010

Gove confirms scrapping of 'needlessly complex' project

Education Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed he is axing the Building Schools for the Future programme.

He said it would have been "irresponsible" to carry on with an "inflexible, and needlessly complex programme".

The scrapping of the programme means 715 schools will no longer be rebuilt or refurbished under BSF.

It will also see 706 schools opened under new arrangements being agreed today, of which nearly 386 schools are projected to be new build; 262 to be remodelled or refurbished; 26 to be ICT-only. The building programme in 32 further schools is yet to be confirmed.

There will be 123 academy projects in development which have not reached financial close will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

In 14 cases, prioritised locally as 'sample' projects - the first taken forward in the area - will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in recognition of local need. Although financial close has not been reached, very significant work has been undertaken to the point of appointing a preferred bidder at 'close of dialogue'.

CUTTING RED TAPE

Gove said it was right to set out a clear way forward for prudent future capital investment in education up to 2015, to flexibly target schools in the worst condition; cut red tape; and tackle urgent demand from rising birth-rates.

Sir Bruce Liddington, director general of E-Act said: "The current BSF programme is very bureaucratic, slow and unwieldy and I would welcome a review."

Meanwhile, Aredi Pitsiaeli, director of business and strategic development at Oasis Community Learning, said: "We welcome the review of the BSF programme as to learn lessons from past experience in order to find a better way of working for the future can only be a good thing."

The BSF programme was a Labour policy that saw the overhaul of run-down schools. Some 180 schools have been rebuilt or refurbished under BSF since 2004.

Separate reductions to the education budget are also expected to be announced, with the Department for Education looking to make savings of up to 25 per cent.

Has your school applied for BSF money? Will you be affected by the expected cuts? We want to hear from you at julia.dennison@intelligentmedia.co.uk.

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