The cost of relocating Lockwood schoolchildren during a school re-build has almost doubled - and the whole plan could be scrapped.
Kirklees Council has hit problems as they look to relocate 600 children and 118 staff from Mount Pleasant School to a temporary school while Mount Pleasant is razed and re-built and must now decide what to do.
Instead of a £2m modular school at nearby Yews Hill Road, the cost has spiralled to £3.85m.
Mount Pleasant is among the 250 worst condition schools in the country and the government’s Education Funding Agency (EFA) is providing cash to cover the re-build cost, said to be between £8m-£10m. But Kirklees must foot the bill for the temporary school.
But due to the saga of the relocation, design issues and strict EFA rules, the project is facing delays.
Kirklees Cabinet will, on Tuesday, be asked to decide the next step – to either find extra cash for the temporary school or walk away from the project.
Council papers say: “The council could decide that it cannot justify the expenditure of £3.85m on the whole school decant and therefore decline to fund the temporary school.
“The EFA have stated that should this situation arise, the EFA will not fund the decant and therefore Mount Pleasant Primary will be removed from the programme, leading to the loss of the new build replacement school.
“Should the new build replacement not occur as a result of the council not funding the required decant, the council would be faced with an ongoing financial liability of £4m-£5m relating to existing needs at this school.
“Given the difficult revenue position faced by the council, it is acknowledged that committing further revenue funds to this project requires careful consideration and thought given to the many competing pressures for funding across the whole of the council’s core business.”
The report says there is a balance to strike – in walking away its reputation would be hit as it has spent £230,000 already developing the flagship project.
The council says they expect a backlash from the school, governing body and local community if they axe the plan, but admits that “some residents” feel the money could be better spent.
And if they continue but there are further setbacks, as Kirklees faces a bill to cover inflation costs to the EFA.
Council officers feel a £3.85m spend in return for a £8m-£10m new school is “considered to be value for money” plus it will reduce the council’s liability of maintaining the current poor school, but it will be up to Cabinet members to rule on Tuesday.
MUCH of the public opposition to the new-build plans relate to a bid to demolish the iconic Lockwood clock tower within the school.
Dating back to 1875, it occupies a prime location and Kirklees has mooted demolishing the clock tower.
Council papers say: “It may be possible to retain the clock tower as a free standing monument but this would be out of context as all other Victorian buildings on the site would have been removed and it would represent an ongoing liability on the council’s limited revenue and capital budgets.”
As such, Kirklees has applied for an immunity certificate to protect the authority against any listing bid. The council is waiting to hear back if its immunity application is successful.
