Anger over 'shadow of doubt' on new county schools

Plans to create four new "desperately needed schools" in Derbyshire are to be reviewed, prompting anger by Conservative county council leaders.

New House Farm and Infinity Park Spencer Academy in South Derbyshire, the Avenue in Wingerworth and a planned sixth form in Bolsover are now in doubt after the government launched a review into whether they offer value for money.

The schools had already been given the green light by the previous Conservative government.

Derbyshire County Council documents stated plans for Infinity Park school would be completed via a government building programme in time for early 2026.

It is listed by the government as part of a nationwide list of approved free schools as being in a "pre-opening phase", as of October 2024.

The Avenue primary school is also on the same list.

Bolsover's sixth form had been approved following lengthy calls for the area to be provided with higher education provision.

It had been among a cluster of areas marked as "disadvantaged", with former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak visiting Bolsover to mark the announcement.

Alex Dale, the council's cabinet member for education, says he is "extremely disappointed" the government "has cast such a huge shadow of doubt over these four desperately needed new schools".

"These projects were all signed off... following a rigorous process and a huge amount of evidence gathering to support them," he added.

"The fact that these projects are all now under review, with the looming threat of being axed, is a huge slap in the face to everyone who's been working so hard to make them happen and to the communities that rightly expect to see the government honour a commitment to provide them with a local school for their children."

He said pulling the schools could leave the council having to fund them at the "worst possible time", amid financial challenges.

Council leaders have written to the government expressing their concerns.

Charlotte Cupit, cabinet member for highways, said in a Facebook post that extensive work on design and ecological surveys had been completed for the Avenue school "months ago".

"We were expecting a new planning application to be submitted by DfE and then construction to start," she said.

"We will continue to make the case for this project to be given the go-ahead ASAP.

"The current delay is really disappointing but, even worse, would be a decision to scrap the new school."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "High and rising standards are at the heart of this government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

"This mission can only be achieved by making sure government funding is targeted to where it is most needed, as well as ensuring best value for money for the taxpayer.

"The department is reviewing mainstream free school projects, to ensure that they continue to meet localised need for places, offer value for money and are not to the detriment of the other schools in the local area."

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