Urgent inquiry demanded over funding for secondary education in Telford

A notice of motion has been put forward by opposition councillors calling for Telford & Wrekin Council to give an "urgent and detailed report as to how new secondary school provision will now be funded" following the closure of the council's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Telford & Wrekin Council has previously said it is prepared to meet the need for school places in the future and is working on a number of projects in areas of the borough where a shortage may be identified.

However, Councillor Stephen Burrell, ward member from Edgmond & Ercall Magna, has put forward the motion calling for an urgent inquiry.

It states: "The Labour administration’s own report, 'Local Places for Local Children', forecasts a disastrous shortfall in secondary school places in the borough as soon as 2018.

"Members are all aware of the need for Telford and Wrekin to offer the very best in secondary education to secure the future prosperity of young people and that of the borough, instead of which this council has let down pupils and parents alike.

"The current administration was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to provide secondary education in the borough fit for the 21st century instead of which, and despite repeated warnings, this borough will run out secondary school places, special needs provision, and a promised sixth form provision at Newport.

"This council demands an urgent and detailed report as to how new secondary school provision will now be funded to meet this disastrous shortfall in school places, bearing in mind that the current Labour administration has woefully failed to collect any funding from housing developers between 2011 and 2016 to pay for additional secondary school provision and spending between 2011 and 2017 by the current Labour administration has resulted in both council debt and council borrowing quadrupling to record levels since taking control in 2011.

"As a result of this huge failing and despite a new cabinet member being appointed to oversee this debacle; this council has no confidence in the current arrangements and calls for an urgent inquiry to establish the causes of the authority’s failings."

Earlier this year, the council said that as part of its work in the Building Schools for the Future programme, it had "contingency plans which are designed to increase capacity across the borough as demand either from increased housing or population shifts take place".

It said all of its secondary schools had the capacity to be expanded as need arises, and projects were currently under consideration in north Telford, south Telford, Wellington, Hadley and Newport.

The combined total of the places is in excess of any shortfall identified within the council's school organisation plan, it added.

The notice will be discussed when the full council meets on Thursday, September 21, at Oakengates Theatre.