£200m boost to accelerate Wales’ school re-building programme

The Welsh Labour Government’s flagship programme to create a new generation of 21st century schools across Wales will now aim to be completed in 2018-19, two years sooner than expected thanks to a £200m funding boost, Finance Minister Jane Hutt has announced.

The £1.4bn 21^st Century Schools programme, which complements the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan, is a major, long-term and strategic capital investment programme which focuses resources on schools across Wales, for early years through to post-16, with funding jointly provided by the Welsh Government and local government.

The programme is being accelerated following a decision by the Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and local authorities to extend the Local Government Borrowing Initiative (LGBI) – a scheme which significantly increases the ability of local authorities to fund major infrastructure projects – to cover schools, as well as through the provision of additional capital funding.

The new £200m package of investment is expected to create or support around 23,000 jobs over the period of construction. Through the Welsh Government’s community benefits approach, the investment will also provide training and apprenticeship opportunities, as well as creating new local supply chain opportunities, especially for smaller organisations, and positive environmental impacts.