Schools cash boost 'not enough', council warns

More than £7m of government cash for improvements to schools in North Yorkshire is not enough to cover a backlog of repairs, a council has warned.

The Department for Education (DfE) has awarded North Yorkshire Council £7.03m from its School Condition Allocation grant for maintenance and building projects.

However, councillor Annabel Wilkinson said while she welcomed the "crucial support", the funding was "nowhere near enough for what we actually require".

A council spokesperson said more than £80m was needed. The DfE has been contacted for comment.

Wilkinson, the council's executive member for education, learning and skills, said the money would be used to "enhance the school buildings' energy efficiency, reducing their carbon footprint and energy bills".

She said the council was "committed to ensuring schools were upgraded to provide modern, safe, warm and well-equipped facilities".

The funding - which is an increase from last year's allocation of £5.8m - would also go towards roofing, heating and window replacements across nurseries, family centres and primary and secondary schools, the council said.

Amanda Fielding, assistant director for inclusion, said the authority would "continue to lobby the government for more money towards school maintenance and improvements".

She said: "By improving the fabric of our school buildings and installing energy efficiency measures, we are also keeping classrooms warm and over time it should reduce energy bills for our schools too."

A council spokesperson said schools in the county were already facing a maintenance backlog of more than £20m, with a further £62.3m estimated to be needed to address the condition of classrooms within five years.

Members of North Yorkshire Council's executive are due to meet on 17 June to discuss the funding.

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