These are all the schools in Lancaster and Morecambe that are due to undergo major renovations

Lancashire County Council’s cabinet has agreed a provisional list of schemes to be funded from an anticipated £14m government grant that the authority expects to receive this spring.

Each upgrade will be confirmed only once the cash is secured – and the degree of need across Lancashire means that not all schools even with urgent issues will see them rectified in the current round of what is an annual programme of remedial work.

Details of each school’s intended refurbishment were restricted to a behind-closed-doors session of a County Hall cabinet meeting earlier this month. That was in order to keep confidential the estimated value of each project until completion of the procurement process under which firms will be able to bid to carry out the work.

However, the Lancaster Guardian has obtained the full list of schemes and can reveal all of the schools that are likely to benefit from the 2023/24 funding allocation.

The proposed works are dominated by roof and ceiling replacements and the installation of new heating systems. Some schools are in line for structural works and one will get a new modular building.

A total of 61 projects have been proposed under the Schools Condition-Led Capital Investment Programme across the county council area. Wherever possible, they will be scheduled to take place in school holidays over the next two financial years - including the summer breaks in 2023 and 2024 - so as to limit the impact on education.

Notwithstanding the scale of the programme, funded by the Department for Education (DfE), cabinet members were told that even if all the suggested schemes are ultimately approved, they will “not address all [of the] condition works required in the Lancashire schools building portfolio”.

The schools on the initial list met the so-called “Priority 1” criteria for repair following an assessment of building condition data held by the county council.

That status is defined by the DfE as “urgent work that will prevent immediate closure of premises and/or address an immediate high risk to the health and safety of occupants and/or remedy a serious breach of legislation”.

Because of the finite amount of cash available, further prioritisation of projects has had to take place - even within the top priority category - in order to support those schools with what County Hall describes as “the greatest need”.

Remaining Priority 1 issues and any Priority 2 needs will be reviewed and considered for any future condition improvement programmes.

Cabinet members heard that works required to comply with health and safety legislation can, in some cases, “be managed through more frequent testing and monitoring”. But they were warned that such an approach “would only delay - and not address - the identified issues”.

There is also a risk that the proposed works will reveal as-yet-undiscovered - and equally urgent - problems that need immediate attention. For that reason, county council officers recommended a “significant” contingency fund be created from within the programme's budget to cover any unexpected additional costs.

Cabinet member for children and families Cosima Towneley told the public part of the meeting where the plans were discussed that “a great many schools will benefit”, adding that she looked forward to seeing the results of the refurbs.

A separate allowance has been made within the programme to conduct further investigations into - and specialist surveys on - buildings where there is deemed to be a potential risk arising from their age or the type of construction process used when they were built. County Hall says that there is a particular need to review existing concrete or steel frame buildings across its property portfolio.

GOING GREEN

The latest round of the schools condition programme will have a particular focus on reducing carbon emissions.

In buildings where heating systems require wholesale replacement, each project will be considered individually for its suitability for a low carbon heating solution.

Factors including the building fabric, local electricity infrastructure and projected running costs will be explored as part of an initial feasibility assessment.

Additional costs may result from wider works needed as part of carbon-reducing improvements to a school building - and a contingency fund has been developed for that purpose.

A report presented to cabinet members recognised that, due to the wide age range of Lancashire school facilities and the different construction methods used across that timeframe, “there cannot be one approach for all buildings”.

“Some will not be suitable for a low carbon heating option without significant enabling works - and consideration will need to be given to the operational needs of each building.

“By taking a long-term view, improvement works can be phased to ensure carbon reductions are achieved, without placing an unmanageable burden of increased operating costs on the [school which] can be associated with the change from gas to electricity,” the document stated.

Cabinet member for environment and climate change Shaun Turner said that the inclusion of carbon reduction plans as part of the proposed school repairs was now emblematic of the fact that the county council takes the issue “seriously” across the board.

ALL THE SCHOOLS SET TO BENEFIT

Lancaster and Morecambe

***Caton Community Primary School - Lancaster Rural East - window and door replacement

***Grosvenor Park Primary School - Skerton - atrium glazing renewal***Sandylands Primary School - Morecambe Central - pitched roof renewal***Torrisholme Community Primary School - Morecambe South - flat and pitched roof renewal

Source: Lancashire County Council document obtained by the Lancaster Guarduan