By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Several schools in Nottingham will get tens of thousands of pounds to replace boilers, maintain roofing and remove asbestos amid a backlog of repairs which totals £25m.
Nottingham City Council has received more than £2.6m from the Department for Education (DfE) in the form of a maintenance grant to improve the condition of school buildings.
The annual grant for 2022 to 2023 was confirmed in April last year, with the total value £2,679,416.
Of this £1,350,000 has already been allocated, and documents published ahead of the council’s Executive Board meeting on May 23 show how the remaining £1,329,416 is to be spent.
Crabtree Farm Primary School, in Bulwell, will receive £250,000 for repairs to roofing, as well as a new access ramp and health and safety work costing £180,000.
Southwold Primary School, in Radford, will similarly get £140,000 towards a roofing programme, as well as a further £140,000 towards an asbestos removal programme.
Carrington Primary School, in Carrington, will get £150,000 towards a boiler replacement alongside Sherwood-based Seely Primary School, which will receive £140,000 towards a replacement boiler.
Finally, Claremont Primary School will get £150,000 towards roof replacement.
The remaining £179,416 will be left over for any future contingency work.
The council says: “The grant is to improve the condition of school buildings maintained by the council.
“The highest priorities for approval relate to health and safety requirements, for example, ensuring the safeguarding of pupils within a school site, ensuring buildings are structurally sound and the safe evacuation of a school in the event of an emergency.
“The next priorities are those condition issues that mean schools are not weather proof or warm in winter, which could lead to school closing temporarily and to a loss of learning.
“This could include schools that need roof replacements, new windows, repairs to existing boilers or replacement heating systems or electrical infrastructure.
“The overall condition liability for schools in Nottingham is approximately £25 million and is significantly greater than the funding available.
“As there is insufficient funding to complete all works, the council has to ensure that all schemes are prioritised in a consistent manner.”
The seven schemes have been recommended for approval at the Executive Board meeting.
Additionally, a payment of up to £300,000 from the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Lifecycle Reserve fund is expected to be approved for Rosehill Special School, so it can undertake condition and maintenance works to the school buildings.
Another payment of up to £500,000, from the BSF Lifecycle Reserve fund, is also expected to be given to Ellis Guilford Academy to undertake condition and maintenance works.
