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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Massive Schools Repair Bill Shock after 30 Years of Neglect
September 14, 2007 10:46 AM
Chris Holley and Mike Day outside St. Joseph's RC School
A report that will be presented at Swansea Council's Cabinet on Thursday 20th September will present the Schools Asset Management Review. The survey of all education buildings has taken 2 ½ years to complete and is the first time the Local Authority has had a complete picture of the state of its school buildings.
The Schools Asset Management Review has left the Swansea Administration "Stunned" as it shows around £150 Million worth of repairs are needed to schools to bring them up to "fit for purpose" standard. The massive repair bill represents many, many years of neglect and lack of maintenance in the County's schools.
Following the closure of the City's Leisure Centre due to lack of maintenance and the £30 Million repair bill for the Guildhall, it is becoming obvious that for at least 30 years there was a culture of neglect under the Labour Administration that ruled until 2004.
It is clear now, that Labour had no long term strategy in place for maintenance of the community's buildings and staggered from year to year, hoping to postpone problems and burying their head in the sand. The current Leader of the Labour Party, Councillor David Phillips was the previous Labour Cabinet Member for Finance.
"This represents over 30 years of neglect under Labour" said Council Leader Councillor Chris Holley "It is the same story as the Leisure Centre and Guildhall where they just left the buildings to decay"
"Councillor David Phillips was the Labour Cabinet Member for Finance up to June 2004 and he seems to have had absolutely no strategy whatsoever in place for keeping up our public buildings - it is as if they had a policy of 'no votes in maintenance' - I am absolutely stunned by the results of this survey" he added.
Commenting on what lead him to order the full Schools Asset Management Review, Chris Holley said "Following the survey of one particular school, we got a very nasty surprise, so I asked the question 'if this school is in this state of repairs, what are all the others like'"
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Mike Day said "The Liberal Democrat & Independent Administration came to office in 2004 and has inherited £150 Million worth of repairs backlog"
"The Administration is now working up a long term plan that will involve a massive investment in the future of our children over many years. It will require a strategy that looks at the future of all of our schools, and asks the question - how can we best provide schools that are fit for purpose" he added.
"Details of the Schools rebuilding programme will be announced very soon" Councillor Mike Day would not be drawn further on the details, stating that "We have to get the numbers right before we can publish them, this must be a sustainable, long term project that delivers quality schools for our children".
ENDS
Notes to editors;
1. The backlog of repairs in Swansea's Schools will cost at least £147,000,000 to put right.
2. In the last Labour Administration, Labour Cabinet Member for Education Councillor John Myles asked for £46 Million over 10 years for schools repairs. The Labour Cabinet Member for Finance (Councillor David Phillips) turned him down.
3. In June 2004 The Lib Dem / Independent Administration came into office
4. In 2005 The schools asset management review was started and has taken 2 ½ years to fully assess the extent of the repairs backlog across Swansea 88 primary schools and 15 secondary schools.
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