Hopes for more Surrey schools dashed

Mar 18 2010 By Vicki Eltis

Surrey needs 6,000 extra school places

Hopes that new schools could be built in Surrey to cope with an increased demand for places have been dashed by the Government.

An extra 6,000 places are needed at primary and secondary schools across the county over the next four years.

However, the minister of state for schools and learners, MP Vernon Coaker, announced that Surrey will not be entering the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) program.

It is the country's biggest ever school building's program, aiming to rebuild and renew every secondary school in England, and although an independent schools adjudicator highlighted the long term shortage of secondary school places in October 2009 the Government says the council needs more time to prepare.

In a letter addressed to Ian Taylor MP for Esher and Walton, Mr Coaker wrote: "As you may know Surrey recently made a submission for entry to the BSF. This submission made clear the authority's passion for BSF and its potential to make a positive difference to education locally."

However, he went on to say after the submission was assessed by Partnerships for School and the Department for Schools, Children and Families officials felt the council will need more time to address areas identified.

He added: "I appreciate this must be disappointing news."

However Peter Martin, cabinet member for children and learning at SCC remains quite positive. He said: " This was the first time we had submitted an application and between 20 of those authorities who applied only six got through and they had all previously applied. The problem with the program is its bureaucratic and costly to administer.

"Within Surrey we do not have huge problems with social deprivation and bad school results and we are grateful for that but in the early stages these are areas more likely to be selected.

"Even if we had got accepted it would take at least two years before the first spade went into the ground. It takes time. Yes we are delayed. Yet again we've missed out for Surrey and we are disappointed but there may be significant changes to the program should the government change at the General Election."

Conservative Dominic Raab, who is campaigning for parliament in Esher and Walton, said: "Surrey pays £5.5billion a year in revenue to the Treasury, yet we are repeatedly short-changed of vital funding for local services – in this case for building new schools. Taxpayers, teachers, parents and - above all - children in Surrey have been consistently let down by this government."