Camden schools in £200m cash cut fears - fears over funds for buildings

Published: 20 May, 2010
by RICHARD OSLEY, DAN CARRIER and TOM FOOT

VITAL renovation work to Camden’s secondary schools is hanging in the balance after the new government vowed to review spending plans on a long-awaited £200million project.
Thirteen schools are now waiting to hear whether major proposals to improve their buildings will be ripped up after months of preparation.
The worry for headteachers and governors is that new facilities they were promised, including classrooms, sports halls, computer suites and canteens, may not survive tough early cuts by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government looking to hack back spending.

There was even a suggestion last night that the UCL Academy planned for Swiss Cottage – a brand new school – is not absolutely guaranteed funding, although the sponsor university is confident plans are so advanced that it will still qualify.
Camden Council’s plans – partly aimed at creating more pupil places – were based on Labour’s nationwide Building Schools for the Future (BSF) improvement and new build policy for schools – a colossal undertaking which the new government now suggests it may not see through in all areas.

Briefings for local authorities have been given on the basis that, “if it’s not signed off, it could still be chopped” – and that could include the £200m provisionally granted to Camden two years ago.
The Department for Education said yesterday that no councils had been told to down tools on the programme, but Education Secretary Michael Gove has said future BSF spending will be placed under review.
In Camden, a preferred contractor is in place to work on the schools, but the business case has not been signed off by elected councillors, meaning the plug could still be pulled.

The only reassurance for schools and council officials is that the Town Hall is further along in the process than other local authorities.
Camden’s new Labour education supremo Councillor Heather Johnson said: “It is very worrying because we have only had silence from the government.
“These are plans that were going to take place over a number of years so we need to know where the axe is going to fall.
“The final business case has not been signed off so it’s unclear what will happen. We don’t even know for certain whether the Academy will get through.

“We will lobby the government so they are aware again of the necessity of this work. We have good schools in Camden but some of the buildings are in a beginning-to-crumble state.”
Cllr Johnson added that she fears government funding for primary schools might also be slashed.

Amanda Blinkhorn, a governor at Acland Burghley, said: “It would be a real shame if they made cuts here. We have been promised some wonderful improvements and wonderful new schools, and it would be terrible if cash was taken away now.”
Fiona Millar, a governor at William Ellis School, added: “There is a great deal of uncertainty and a real anxiety that schools are not going to get the money now.

“Nobody knows what is going to happen. If it doesn’t go ahead it will be extremely disappointing. All the schools are in need of refurbishment.
“There has been a lot of time spent by staff thinking about what the new schools are going to be like. William Ellis has quite a long wishlist – it is cramped for storage space and is one of the smallest schools for floor space per pupil in the country.”
Geoff Berridge, chairman of governors at Hampstead School, said: “I suspect that no one really knows what is going to happen.

“Of course we want the whole scheme to go ahead – a lot is in it for Hampstead School. We are talking about a significant rebuild.”
Conservative councillor Andrew Mennear said the only reason the new plans were in doubt was because Labour had mismanaged the economy, leading to a need for spending cuts.

He added: “I think it would be very surprising if they stopped Camden’s plans because we made the case for more school places.
“The question is why the government is having to review the scheme –  and that’s the state the country has been left in by Labour.
“(Former Labour Treasury minister) Liam Byrne said it in his memo this week: ‘There is no money left’. If they mismanage the economy in one area, there is no money left in another.”
A Camden Council spokesman said: “We are awaiting announcements from the government on school capital funding. In the meantime, we are continuing to develop Camden’s BSF programme.”