黑洞社区

Major delays to the government鈥檚 flagship 拢2bn school building programme have forced ministers to put back the launch of the contracts by at least six months, with construction on new schools now unlikely to begin until well into 2013.

The fresh delay to the 拢2bn Priority Schools 黑洞社区 Programme (PSPB), which was set up in place of the previous government鈥檚 拢55bn 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme, scrapped by ministers in 2010, comes after 黑洞社区 revealed last month that the timetable had begun slipping.

A list of the first wave of schools to be included in the programme was initially earmarked for December 2011, with contracts expected to be put to market this April.
However, with the industry and schools still waiting to learn which schools are to be included, 黑洞社区 understands that delivery agency Partnership for Schools (PfS) has now briefed contractors that tendering for the work will not begin until 鈥渓ate summer鈥�, with contractors told this meant September.

鈥淲e were told that鈥檚 their best guess. It doesn鈥檛 mean it won鈥檛 go back further,鈥� one contractor said.

It鈥檚 another blow for construction which has seen plans delayed three times now

Stephen Twigg, shadow minister

It is understood that the delay to the PSPB is partly due to the volume of bids, with the programme three times oversubscribed. This has been exacerbated by an initial 鈥渓ight touch鈥� method used to assess schools for inclusion, which prompted a review of all bids.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson confirmed PfS was reviewing the applications, but would not comment on the fresh delay.

Stephen Twigg, Labour鈥檚 shadow education secretary, said the PSBP 鈥渁ppears to be in chaos鈥�. 鈥淚t鈥檚 another blow to the construction industry, which has seen these plans delayed three times now,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he government should bring forward investment projects like new school buildings that will also create building jobs,鈥� he said.

The delay came as with a reduction of the overall gross area averaging 15% in secondary schools and 5% in primary schools for the entire school build.

A DfE spokesperson said the move meant the average size of classrooms 鈥渕ight be reduced by around 5% in secondary schools鈥�, but she said area reductions could be achieved by reducing non-teaching areas such as corridors and omitting separate ICT spaces.

But Caroline Buckingham, head of education at HLM architects, said that this was already being done and the new standards would mean teaching spaces would be 鈥渟queezed even further鈥�. 鈥淭here will be no breathing space,鈥� she said.

For more on the reduction in space standards,

And for an analysis of how the free schools agenda is driving down school building standards,