Local schools bid for £314m investment

Ambitious plans to invest £314m in Powys schools will be submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government, if a report to the county council's Board is approved.

The plans, which set out the county council's vision for the schools for the next 15 years, will be considered by the Board on December 7 and if approved will be submitted to the Assembly for funding under the 21st Century School Programme.

Board Member for Schools, Councillor David Jones said: “The proposals for Powys’ 21st Century Schools Programme being considered by the Board highlight the key issues facing Powys’ education infrastructure for 3-19 year olds and our ambitions plans to tackle them.

“The challenges facing the county cannot be overestimated. We are the largest, most sparsely populated county in Wales with an ageing population. Providing a high quality sustainable education infrastructure will not be easy and will demand considerable change. Nevertheless, we remain committed to providing the best possible education for our current and future 3 - 19 year old children and young people.

“We are determined to deliver the highest quality learning provision, with a broad range of opportunities supported by 21st century facilities that allow our learners to develop their skills to the highest level.

“It is inevitable that the number of schools in the county will reduce. We need an infrastructure that meets the needs of the next generation not the last. We have already started the modernisation work in Ystradgynlais where we will be replacing 10 aging schools with four modern facilities, and are committed to continuing that process across the county.

“To achieve our vision we have identified a need to invest £314m in our school infrastructure, with 30 per cent of that investment being met by the county. We estimated that £200m is needed just to bring our schools up to 21st century standard, but the additional investment of £114 will deliver annual revenue saving of up to £5m.

“Our proposals set out how we plan to transform the entire school estate for the benefit of future learners and the wider community. We know they are ambitious, comprehensive but they are achievable and will deliver a firm foundation for the future of education for the next 15 years,” he added.

A copy of the full bid is available on the council's website.