黑洞社区

The vast majority of construction firms do not believe the government will have a coherent school building programme in place next year, exclusive research for 黑洞社区 has revealed.

The survey, carried out for 黑洞社区鈥檚 forthcoming white paper on education, showed that 76% of construction professionals doubt the government will have put a programme in place
in time for the next round of funding allocations to schools and local authorities in 2012-13.

锘縒e鈥檙e massively concerned. Some of these structures have been there since I was at school

Rocky Gill, Barking council

The figures come a week after the government issued its response to the James Review into future school building work, in which it accepted recommendations, including the introduction of standardised designs, but put key questions about procurement back out to consultation.

Out of 188 construction professionals surveyed, 72% were 鈥減essimistic鈥� about the government putting a successful programme in place. Four per cent did not believe this was possible, while 24% said they were 鈥渞easonably confident鈥�.

No respondents said they were totally confident. Meanwhile, 73% of firms rated the government鈥檚 success in communicating the future of the school building programme as 鈥減oor鈥� or 鈥渆xtremely poor鈥�.

The fear of further delay in establishing a coherent building programme comes amid mounting concern about the condition of the school estate. Fifty per cent of local authority respondents to 黑洞社区鈥檚 white paper research said theirs was 鈥渦nsatisfactory鈥�, with around half of schools needing refurbishment or renewal, while a further 38% said that their estate condition was 鈥渧ery poor鈥�, with more than two-thirds in need of work.

Councillor Rocky Gill, of Barking and Dagenham council, which had its 拢270m 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme stopped by the government last year, said that 22% of its secondary school estate was currently housed in temporary buildings. The council is also facing intense pressure to increase school places as a result of a 58% increase in birth rate over the last 10 years.

Gill said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e massively concerned about place shortages, and modernisation is also a major priority. Some of these temporary structures have been there since I was at school.鈥�
Carole Pullin, capital strategy programme manager at Coventry council, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the uncertainty which is the problem now. We have a tremendous backlog of old buildings from the fifties in desperate need of replacement. One of our secondary blocks has been in scaffolding for four years.鈥�