TWO Herefordshire schools look set to benefit from £8.2m to improve teaching facilities.
Some £5.5m is planned to be invested in a rebuild of Peterchurch Primary School while £2.7m will go towards improvements at Brookfield School in Hereford.
The Peterchurch school is accommodated in several buildings that include the original Victorian school and headmaster’s house with more recent additions such as what was originally built as the village hall.
The buildings have been mired with problems ranging from asbestos leaks, a failed roof and regular problems with the slate tiles slipping from the Victorian buildings, and councillors last year agreed to explore plans to rebuild the school.
Councillors said they supported the investment at today’s children and young people scrutiny committee.
The funding forms part of the council’s current capital programme and is earmarked to be spent in the 2021/22 financial year,
Councillor Mike Jones said: “There are currently 80 pupils at Brookfield School, which is designed to accommodate half this number.
“Classrooms in the secondary phase are too small and there is no dedicated space for physical education. Can you explain how this situation has arisen?”
Education and capital manager Andrew Hind said that demand for places in the school had increased.
“It is a constrained site between Grandstand Road and the racecourse,” he said.
“It’s a school which needs some investment, it needs the sport space, it needs better teaching space, it needs separation of fire exit from the sports club and it needs provision for girls.”
The improvements for Brookfield School hope to improve the setting for special educational needs, and will make the buildings safer for fire evacuation.
The plans for Peterchurch include a replacement primary school, including all teaching and support spaces, playground and playing field.
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