School Buildings Improvement Grant

I am delighted to be able to announce allocations to local authorities of £42.064 million for large school building improvement projects commencing in 2005-06, and £42.451 million for 2006-07. Some £560 million for school capital projects was pledged as a top-10 Welsh Assembly Government commitment for the second Assembly. I announced last year that the overall amount to be allocated for capital investment in school buildings would increase to £139 million per annum from 2005-06 onwards.
The plans contained the commitment that the school building improvement grant would be significantly increased so that authorities received an additional lump sum of £9 million over 2005 to 2010 to enable them to undertake large projects. This is in addition to annual shares of school building improvement grant, totalling around £35 million, which all authorities will continue to receive.
This first tranche of additional funding has been allocated to authorities that are in a position to undertake projects in 2005-06 and 2006-07. I have been able to ensure that each of the 16 authorities that submitted firm proposals for use of their allocations in these years can commence most, if not all, of what they want to do, as requested. These authorities can, if necessary, adjust the amounts for schemes within their total figure for each year in order to secure a full spend.
In total, 32 projects have been approved, and they are listed in the table accompanying this statement, which has been e-mailed to Members. The authorities have chosen the projects. The approvals are given without prejudice to any decisions that I may have to make on related statutory proposals. In considering allocations in due course for 2007-08 and beyond, priority will be given to those authorities not included in this first round.
My officials will be writing to authorities with approved schemes to set out the full conditions of the grant. These will cover issues of sustainability, energy efficiency, disabled access, safe access to schools and financial accountability.
This additional investment in school buildings in Wales supports our commitment to deliver the ‘Betterwales.com’ undertaking that, by 2010, all school buildings should be in a good physical shape and properly maintained. The improvement of school buildings is a key priority: we owe it to our children and to those who work in our schools.
The table of allocations could not be distributed on the Chamberweb. Therefore, I have e-mailed it to Members, and I will now read out the allocations. These are: Anglesey County Council, £3 million in 2005-06 and £3 million in 2006-07 for a replacement school for Ysgol y Bont, Ysgol y Graig and Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi, and for the creation of a lifelong learning centre. Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, £4 million in 2005-06 and £2.5 million in 2006-07 for a new school to replace Garnfach Infants School and Coed Cae Junior School on the Coed Cae site, and for a new building for Willowtown Primary School. Bridgend County Borough Council, £800,000 in 2005-06, £2,055,000 in 2006-07, and, to complete the programme, £3,115,000 in 2007-08. That is for a new building for Penyfai Church in Wales Primary School and a new primary school in Caerau.
The allocation for Caerphilly County Borough Council is £4.8 million in 2005-06, £3,100,000 in 2006-07 and £1,100,000 in 2007-08 for a new 12-classroom block and an extension to the gym for Rhymney Comprehensive School, a new building for Ysgol Ifor Bach Senghenydd, a new building for Lower Rhymney Primary School, and a new primary school to replace Oakdale Infant School and Rhiw Syr Dafydd Junior School. Carmarthenshire County Council, £3 million in 2005-06, and £3 million in 2006-07, for a replacement building for Ysgol y Bryn, and a new primary school to replace Ysgol yr Ynys and Llwynhendy Junior School on the current Ysgol yr Ynys site. Ceredigion County Council, £1 million in 2005-06 and £1.75 million in 2006-07 for a new primary school for Ffynnon Bedr Community Primary School.
Denbighshire County Council will receive £775,000 in 2005-06, £4,325,000 in 2006-07 and £1,400,000 in 2007-08 for a new primary school in Prestatyn, new science laboratories in Ysgol Uwchradd Glan Clwyd, dining facilities for Ysgol Dinas Bran and Ysgol Brynhyfryd, and a four-classroom extension for Ysgol Emmanuel, Rhyl. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, £2,500,000 in 2006-07 and £750,000 in 2007-08 for a new primary school in Aberfan to replace Ynysowen Primary School, Mount Pleasant Primary School and Ynysowen Nursery School, the relocation of Ysgol Gymraeg Rhyd-y-Grug to the Ynysowen Primary School site, and a new primary school to replace Ysgol y Graig County Primary School and Trefechan Nursery School. Monmouthshire County Council, £3.5 million in 2005-06, £2 million in 2006-07, for Harold Road Abergavenny, a new primary to replace Harold Road Junior and Park Street Infants, and Ysgol Gymraeg y Fenni, a new Welsh-medium primary on the present site of St David’s school.
For Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, the allocation will be £2,191,000 in 2005-06, and £489,000 in 2006-07, for a new special school to replace Briton Ferry Special School. For Newport City Council, £3 million in 2005-06, £2.4 million in 2006-07, and £100,000 in 2007-08, for the rebuilding of Rogerstone Primary. Pembrokeshire County Council, £1 million in 2005-06, £4,250,000 in 2006-07, and £3,750,000 in 2007-08, for additional classrooms and specialist provision for 16 to 19-year-olds at Ysgol y Preseli, replacing Pendergast Junior School and rebuilding it adjacent to Pendergast Infants School to create a new primary school, and accommodation improvement at Greenhill Secondary School.
For Powys County Council, the allocation will be £2,948,000 in 2005-06, and £2,832,000 in 2006-07, for the new building phase 2 at Penmaes Special School, and the phase 2 extension and refurbishment at Maes Y Dderwen High School.

For the City and County of Swansea Council, the allocation will be £3,300,000 in 2005-06, £2,500,000 in 2006-07, and £1,850,000 in 2007-08, for improvements to address sub-standard accommodation at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, the continuation of building work at Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe, the provision of a new teaching block to replace existing accommodation at Morriston Comprehensive, a new teaching block and the removal of sub-standard classrooms at Gowerton Comprehensive, and a new primary school to replace Dunvant infant and junior schools, and improvement to existing buildings.
For Torfaen County Borough Council, the allocation will be £2,750,000 in 2005-06, and £2,750,000 in 2006-07, for the rationalisation of secondary provision in north Torfaen. For Wrexham County Borough Council, £6 million in 2005-06, and £3 million in 2006-07, for the refurbishment of Coed Poeth Primary buildings for shared use by a new English-medium primary, Ysgol Penygelli, and a new Welsh-medium primary, Ysgol Bryn Tabor, the refurbishment of Rhos Primary School for shared use by a new English-medium primary, Ysgol y Rhos, and a new Welsh-medium primary, Ysgol Hooson, and the refurbishment of buildings at Clywedog Secondary School and Rhosnesni Secondary School.