Derbyshire councillors are set to call on central Government to make a decision on stalled plans for four new schools around the county which have spent a year in budget limbo.
For the past year, the future of four new schools in Bolsover, Derby and Wingerworth has hung in the balance due to a pause by Labour in central Government.
The schemes for primary schools on The Avenue site in Wingerworth and the New House Farm development in Mickleover, a sixth form in Bolsover and a secondary school on the Infinity Garden Village near Chellaston, are supported by business cases.
The previous Conservative Government had green-lit all four schemes but work had not started with the projects sitting on a “pre-opening phase”.
However, when Labour came into power, it chose to freeze future spending on projects that had not started after last September, identifying a claimed £22 billion public finances black hole. All further schemes were to be assessed and either progressed or shelved.
A motion from Derbyshire’s Conservative opposition, through party leader Cllr Alex Dale, calls on the Government to end its “dithering and delay” over its review of the county’s four proposed new schools and support the plans
It would tell the Government that the delay has “created hugely unnecessary uncertainty for local families and for the council’s role in pupil place planning”.
Cllr Dale said: “Parents need certainty, our officers need to plan properly, and young people in places like Bolsover, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire need the opportunities these schools will bring.
“Instead, we have a Government that has spent almost a year dithering, leaving communities completely in limbo.
“Enough is enough. It’s time to conclude this review and get on with building them.”
Cllr Jack Bradley, Reform’s cabinet member for special educational needs and education, said the controlling administration would be supporting the Conservatives’ motion.
He said there was a risk that Section 106 funding from housing developers for new schools could be clawed back if it is not spent on time.
Cllr Bradley said: “Officers are in consistent dialogue with the Department for Education about the issues they are having with this and until the review is completed there is not much movement we can have on it.
“It is something we are really keen on moving forward so it is something that we are wanting to support.
“It is the most sensible thing to do because we all know the pressures that schools have and these areas need schools.
“It becomes quite difficult when there are time limits we have to work towards with things like Section 106 funding to make sure these things can progress and the money can be used to make these things happen.
“It makes it very difficult when central government are not helping sometimes with these decisions.
“The Conservative motion to put a bit more pressure on central Government is something that we do welcome.”
The last updates from the county council in August last year on the New House Farm primary school suggested a potential opening date of September 2027 due to land transfer delays, having originally been set to open from September this year.
Meanwhile, the secondary school near Chellaston on the Infinity Garden Village site had been due to open in 2023 but was also to be delayed until September 2027 due to issues with value for money for the specific plot near Lowes Farm.
The DfE was approached for comment, but has not responded as of this article’s publication.
