To approve the proposed expenditure of capital grants for school building and maintenance works.

The Department for Education provides capital funding to local authorities responsible for schools. This funding includes the Schools Condition Allocation which is intended for the maintenance of community and voluntary controlled schools, and the basic need allocation which is intended for the addition of school places to meet the needs of growing populations.

Herefordshire council has been allocated £1,232,573 Schools Condition Allocation and £1,048,294 basic need allocation.

In addition £651,632 has been allocated to voluntary aided schools in Herefordshire. The council co-ordinates this funding with the diocesan boards of education and school endowment trusts. However the funding is then passed directly from the ESFA to the schools.

The distribution of this funding is determined in accordance with the principles set out in the schools capital investment strategy and is based on regular condition surveys in respect of maintenance, and regular assessments of current and forecast demand for places in respect of basic need.

Appendix 1 provides an overview of the proposed expenditure of maintenance, Basic Need and LCVAP (local authority co-ordinated voluntary aided programme) funding. Appendix 2 provides the details of the schemes being proposed as part of this programme of works.