Release date: 07/07/2010

By: Eyvind Ryans
Telephone 020 8871 6031 or email eryans@wandsworth.gov.uk

Strong case for schools programme

 The council is hoping to persuade Department for Education officials that advanced plans to redevelop four Wandsworth secondary schools should be allowed to go ahead..

Yesterday (Monday), the education secretary announced major cuts to the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The DfE has already said schemes at Burntwood School and Southfields Community College can be considered on a ‘case by case basis’ as part of the national review..

Detailed designs have already been prepared for the two schools – both of which face increasing demand for places and offer outdated teaching environments.

The council also wants the ‘case by case’ review to include plans for the remodelling of Elliott School in Putney and the construction of Saint John Bosco – a new Catholic secondary school in Battersea. Both are also at an advanced stage.

Last week the council made a decision to appoint Bovis Lend Lease Ltd as preferred bidder for the borough’s BSF programme. The appointment came ahead of schedule and marked the conclusion of an 11-month selection process which began in July 2009.

Council leader Edward Lister said:

“We understand the national priorities and the need to reduce the budget deficit. This clearly means all areas of public spending have to come under review.

“We will be making the case for our four most advanced projects to proceed. These are the ones that address the most pressing needs. They are the result of many months of detailed work and are now ready to move forward.”

Ends

Notes to editors

The Bovis Lend Lease consortium comprises Bovis Lend Lease as Local Education Partnership (LEP) investor and building contractor, Civica as Information Communication Technology (ICT) contractor and Lorne Stewart as Facilities Management (FM) contractor.


The council's website contains all current press releases dating back to February 2000

Sign up for daily news alerts at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/subscribe

Make and view comments on this article

Important notice
You must carefully read and then agree to the Terms and Conditions (link opens in new window) before accessing the message board and posting a comment. If you do not wish to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, you may not access or use the message board.
If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us at press@wandsworth.gov.uk or to the member of the press team shown at the top of the page.

Your comments

The most recent comments made about this article.

What about Chestnut Grove? If memory serves, there was a flood at that school not so long ago. Pray tell why the BSF funding for this outstanding school is being frozen? Especially when the council are happy to squander MILLIONS of pounds on the new free school in Northcote Road! This school will simply serve the needs of parents who have never supported state schools at secondary level and who can no longer afford to send their children to Emanuel, Alleyns and Dulwich College!
Shame on you Wandsworth!
Baroness Quorn - Putney


Bintou Janneh - UK


Bintou Janneh - UK

So, Bovis Lend Lease Consortium have won Wandsworth's 'Building Schools for the Future' contract.
If this is anything like PFI in the NHS taxpayers can expect to be taken to the cleaners.
Be interesting to see the terms of the contract, how long it lasts, what are the annual repayments, what will be the actual costs of the building etc
Mike Squires - Balham

The Council should be arguing for money for Battersea Park School which is in dire need of building improvement. I am very worried that children in north Battersea (who have no choice of schools geographically) are always a low priority for the Conservative Council and now it seems the Conservative Government.
Sara Linton - Battersea