Council school maintenance budget revealed

More than £1.6 million has been earmarked to maintain Telford & Wrekin Council’s non-academy schools in the next financial year, a report says.

Over the next five years council officials estimate that about £15.4 million will need to be spent on looking after the borough’s schools.

The figure for ‘priority works’ has reduced from some £18m in 2020. Officials say this is because of past investment and also that schools have left council control to become academies.

Budget papers show how much the council intends to spend on maintenance across its schools, including priority projects.

The documents, produced in time for next week’s budget-setting full council meeting, warned that at the time of writing the council had not been told how much it would be getting from the Government to cover this work.

Officials added a word of caution that they may need to make adjustments “if the allocation is below what is expected”.

Schools also receive money that they spend maintaining and investing on a day-to-day basis.

Officials will tell councillors on Thursday (February 26) that they could “either do nothing and incur no expenditure or do less and spend less”.

But they added that the council would “run the risk of buildings’ condition potentially worsening and ultimately requiring emergency works to ensure the safety of building occupants”.

The Government also expects funds to be used in line with guidance and the council has to report back.

The biggest single allocation is for fire alarm and LED lighting at Newport Junior School which has been earmarked £187,000.

Donnington Wood Infant School’s boiler replacement has been allocated £180,000. Boiler and heating work at High Ercall Primary School has been assigned the same amount.

Dothill Primary School will receive £109,802 for work to its hall windows.

Fire safety works at John Fletcher of Madeley Primary (£72,000), Teagues Bridge Primary (£88,000) and Wrockwardine Wood CE Junior (£83,700) are also in the plans.

Another £320,000 has been earmarked for fire risk assessments and door replacements at various schools.

Other pots of money have been earmarked for asbestos management surveys (£75,000); another £50,000 has been set aside to update the data.

External redecoration, structural surveys and access works at various schools are being allocated another £260,000.

In addition to maintenance money the council also has some £41 million in its capital budget for investment in school expansion projects.