Extra £50m to be spent on improving school buildings across Wales.

The Welsh government is set to spend an additional £50m on improving school buildings across Wales.

The capital funding will allow local authorities to focus on large-scale maintenance projects, such as replacement roofs, new window systems or heating and ventilation works, rather than small scale routine repairs.

The funding is in addition to the Welsh Government’s 21st century Schools and Colleges programme, which has seen 170 new schools or colleges built in its first phase, with a further 43 projects already approved for its second phase.

Further Education colleges have already been allocated an extra £10m for maintenance and small scale projects this year.

Kirsty Williams, the Education Minister, said: “Our 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme has seen new school building projects developed right across Wales, providing first class facilities for our learners.

“While we continue to invest in brand new schools, I also recognise the pressures local authorities are under to maintain our existing school estate. This funding will help local authorities undertake urgent work to keep our school estate in good shape for the future.”

The leader of Flintshire council Cllr Councillor Ian Roberts is the Welsh Local Government Association’s Education Spokesperson, he said:

“We welcome this extra £50m funding which will help local authorities to maintain their school estates.”

“This is in addition to the wider 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, which has seen so many new buildings being built in communities across Wales to enhance learners’ education experience.”

“Such a transformative work programme would not have been possible without strong partnership working between local authorities and Welsh Government, and I look forward to continuing that joint effort into the next phase of the programme.”