Renfrewshire Council spending on the area’s learning estate could “run into billions” in the coming decades as part of a long-term investment programme.
The local authority will develop ambitious proposals to reshape, refurbish or rebuild its education facilities as part of a recently approved strategy. But an eye-watering amount of money is expected to be required to fund the vision – an estimate that would be drawn out over a period as long as 25 years.
The calculation was included in a financial outlook paper by finance chief Alastair MacArthur, which was discussed at Thursday’s full council meeting.
It said: “The education and children’s services policy board recently agreed the learning estate strategy, including the development of a long-term funding model which will underpin the aims and objectives of the strategy.
“The strategy will be developed over the coming years and will underpin future investment decisions in the learning estate, based on an agreed needs matrix and supported by robust business cases.
“The scale of investment need in the whole learning estate over the longer-term will be significant – likely running into billions as opposed to hundreds of millions of pounds.”
Councillor Graeme Clark, a Labour representative for Paisley Northeast and Ralston, said it was the first time he had read the word ‘billions’ in a Renfrewshire Council paper – describing it as “certainly unusual”. He added: “I recognise this is over an extended period but wonder where such a large sum could possibly come from?”
Mr MacArthur, director of finance and resources, responded: “You’re correct, it’s not very often that I would write a report that has ‘billions’ in it but you’re absolutely correct as well, that would be over a very significant period.
“We’re looking at a 25 to 30-year period over which that amount of money would be spent. It is a very significant sum of money that the council will need to generate its ability to service a level of debt on that scale.
“It is a very significant undertaking and is one that has obviously been agreed in terms of a longer-term financial funding model that was agreed at the education and children’s services policy board very recently. That funding model will be developed and discussed at that board and the implications incorporated into future medium-term financial outlooks.”
The local authority currently has a number of learning estate projects in the works, including a new Dargavel Primary School, Thorn Primary School, Paisley Grammar School and extended Park Mains High School.
The report said capital costs for these projects total around £175 million, which has already been incorporated into existing spending plans.
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