TOWN Hall bosses at Warrington are being asked to approve spending priorities for primary schools across the borough to take advantage of low tender bids arising from the recession.
Education chiefs want to press ahead with a scheme to relocate Great Sankey’s Sycamore Lane Primary so it can open at Chapelford Urban Village in September 2012.
They also want to commit to building a replacement nursery at Cobbs Infant School, Appleton and to put forward a package of priority schemes at St Margaret’s Primary, Orford, Evelyn Street Primary, Dallam Primary, Bewsey Lodge Primary and Woolston Primary so they can be implemented once funding is in place.
Funding of some £13.62 million is available for the period 2009-2012.
Members of the council’s executive board will be asked to approve the recommendations tonight (Monday).
They will be told delivery of the proposed programme is a key element of the Primary Strategy for Change – a major initiative to transform learning in primary schools.
It will play a significant part in not only transforming the learning opportunity for many children across the borough, but also help close the gap in outcomes between children in deprived and less deprived areas.
Good progress has already been made on three projects at Oughtrington Primary, Lymm, Winwick CE Primary and St Joseph’s RC Primary.
A major improvement scheme at Great Sankey Primary has also been approved but has been held back because of the possibility of it utilising shared facilities with Penketh High School. But in the event of this option not being pursued, the scheme could go ahead without further delay.
Members of the executive will be told that if there are delays in progressing the schemes there could be a risk of costs rising, particularly as the construction industry is currently responding favourably in the tender process because of the recession.
