Sunderland schools to benefit from £900k pot for repairs and improvements

Sunderland City Council’s cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss their Children’s Services Capital Programme for 2019/20.

This includes a range of maintenance and major repair works at schools and nurseries across the city.

The “priority works” will be funded from existing capital and government grant funds and include roof replacements, structural repairs and electricity / lighting improvements.

Cabinet member for Children, Learning and Skills on the council, Coun Louise Farthing, said the overall pot for repairs stands at £900,000 for 2019/20.

As part of the existing capital programme in coming years, major refurbishment works are planned at two secondary academies to boost school places alongside wider city work to improve special education sectors.

Cabinet member for Communities and Culture, Coun John Kelly, welcomed the decision at the Sunderland Civic Centre meeting.

He said: “It’s refreshing to see that even as we get more cuts, we continue to try and look after the schools and our children.

“Coun Farthing has done some absolutely fantastic work and I certainly look forward to the work we’re doing around the special education sector. 

“I don’t think we should be in this place at this moment in time when we’re having to choose between which schools gain and some which don’t.

“The reality of the financial pressures, this is where we’re at.

“I think Coun Farthing, her team and the finance team have made a significant amount of money available to try and address those issues.”

A cabinet report, presented to councillors, states no single scheme is expected to cost more than £250,000 in 2019/20.

Future works include:

*Hudson Road Primary School – partial roof replacement

*Wessington Primary School – partial roof replacement

*Broadway Junior School – partial roof replacement

*Dame Dorothy Primary School – partial roof replacement

*Broadway Junior School – Structural works

*Fulwell Junior School – Heating replacement

Other capital works include: 

*Council contribution to Salix Lighting Schemes.

*Asbestos management across the council school estate.

*Management of the Legionella bug.

*Completion of building condition surveys and electricity at work surveys.

*Access equipment for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Major works include:

*Castle View Enterprise Academy – Internal  refurbishment to increase number of pupils on roll from 900 to 1,050.

*Majority of works to be carried out in summer 2020 with initial works planned for 2019/20.

*Oxclose Community Academy– Internal/ external refurbishment to increase number of pupils on roll from 1,050 to 1,200.

This includes a specialist teaching area and improvement of external sports facilities with works to be funded through the use of a section 106 funds.

Chris Binding , Local Democracy Reporting Service