Building plans escape latest school budget axe

OLDHAM has survived further cuts to school building projects.

Oldham Council has confirmed that plans for three academies, a new Catholic secondary school and substantial rebuilding work at North Chadderton School won’t be affected by new budget cuts as they are too far advanced.

In the summer, Education Secretary Michael Gove controversially scrapped the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future Programme (BSF) to re-build or refurbish every secondary in England.

But the four new Oldham high schools were among 33 school buildings and 44 academies around the country that escaped the axe after a review.

It has now emerged that some of those that were spared now face budget cuts of up to 40 per cent.

About 600 projects will have to reduce costs, with a number of councils claiming they will have to abandon plans to build new schools in favour of refurbishing existing buildings.

But contracts had already been signed for Oldham’s new schools and plans are too far advanced to change.

A council spokesman said: “We are not affected. It’s for the local authorities who are proceeding with a full programme but where they have not reached financial closure on the schools as we have.”

Leicester City Council calculates it will have to reduce its rebuilding programme by £65 million and Salford Council by £40 million. It is understood that Rochdale and Blackburn are also affected.

Much of Oldham’s £266 million plan was left in tatters when hundreds of projects were axed, including a new Saddleworth School and a new school for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties in Chadderton. Improvements to Blue Coat, Crompton House, Hathershaw, Royton and Crompton, New Bridge Learning Centre and Oldham’s Pupil Referral Unit were also shelves, along with a unit for autistic pupils.