Council’s £9.2m school repairs will ensure Mansfield and Ashfield schools are ‘up to standard’ for pupils

Repairs will target leaky roofs, old boilers and windows letting in drafts as well as urgent safety repairs, ceiling replacements and improved insulation on old school sites.

A leading cabinet member has said the repairs – targeting 20 primary and infant schools – will ensure the hubs are “fit for purpose” in the future.

Coun Keith Girling, council cabinet member for economic development and asset management. said the investment is about ensuring schools are safe and future-proofed for pupils.

He said: “It’s part of a bigger scheme and another phase where we’re looking at the schools in our estate and the work needing to be done on them.

“These are the schools that need it the most and first. We’re looking at things like leaky roofs or boilers that need replacing. These aren’t cheap and part of our green agenda is changing what sorts of boilers we use.

“It’s about making sure the schools are up to the standard we want them to be. We’ve looked at them based on urgency and what needs to be sorted out, such as things like leaky roofs or windows letting in drafts.

“It’s about the conditions of the schools. The work is prioritising the repairs and committing £9.2m, which is not an insubstantial amount of money.”

It is part of the authority’s school building improvement work for 2023/24 and will be delivered by contractor Arc Partnership, which said “99 per cent of this work will be carried out by local contractors”.

Planned improvements will target Intake Farm, Berry Hill and Northfield primaries in Mansfield.

Intake will get £1.2m to strengthen and replace its roofing and improve insulation, replace suspended ceilings, upgrade LED lighting, remove asbestos and replace wall tiling.

Berry Hill’s work will involve sections of roof replacements to reduce leaks, costing £52,040, while Northfield’s work, costing £475,000, will replace see double-glazing installed.

Newlands Junior School, Forest Town, will also get £17,930 to replace internal plasterboard in a classroom, while Abbey Gates, Ravenshead, will get £37,947 to remove blockages, replace pipes and re-lay a path.

Annesley Primary, in Annesley Woodhouse, will also get £517,980 for upgrades including a wired fire alarm system, emergency lighting and energy-efficient lighting.