Wigan Council has been given the go-ahead to transform secondary education in the borough and create a brighter future for the borough’s children.
Council officers and leaders discovered today that that the government has accepted the council’s bid for it to join the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
The announcement means the borough has now secured £80M to complete the first phase of the programme. The entire project, which will be delivered in three phases, is worth £280M to Wigan.
News of Wigan’s acceptance onto the BSF programme came from Schools' Secretary Ed Balls today.
In making the announcement, Mr Balls said: "The Government's unprecedented investment in school buildings and new facilities has benefitted every school in every area of the country.
"As well as transforming the education of children, our investment is supporting local jobs and businesses, particularly in the construction industry. That's why we have brought forward almost £1 billion of capital investment for schools this year to support the economy during the recession.”
The government had originally placed Wigan in a later phase of the BSF programme but council officers and elected members have successfully proved the case that the borough can deliver it early.
In fact, work has already begun in the borough thanks to the £20M new Abraham Guest High School in Pemberton.
Building work at the new Abraham Guest, which includes a new secondary school, primary school and a library, leisure and sports facilities and adult learning centre, is now more than half-way through.
The project was chosen to be a pathfinder for the Wigan Schools for the Future programme and has helped to prove the council’s case that it is ready to deliver the entire scheme.
Leader of Wigan Council Lord Peter Smith said today’s announcement heralded the beginning of an exciting new era for the borough.
“Rarely will there be an event of more importance to our borough than today’s momentous announcement,” says Cllr Smith. “It means that our dream to provide our children with the first-rate education they deserve in modern world-class environments that will enthuse them and encourage them to excel, will now become a reality.”
Cllr Smith adds: “Because we are being invited to join the programme early it means even more of our children will benefit from the new improvements.
“And while our children’s futures are at the heart of everything we do, this announcement is good news for everyone.
“The construction work will provide a massive boost to the local economy, creating new jobs and opportunities for local people. It will provide our teachers with the chance to work in what will be some of the best schools and educational environments in the country and it will give all our residents the chance to benefit from superb new community and leisure facilities that will encourage lifelong learning.”
The project will be rolled out in three phases with a planned completion date of 2013.
Consultation with those communities that are set to benefit directly from the programme has already begun.
Wigan Council’s Cabinet Champion for Children and Young People Cllr Susan Loudon says: “People have already begun to have their say on the changes and we are listening.
“We believe that we are on an exciting journey together and of course there are some who will have concerns and may even be a little fearful of change. We are listening to these concerns and taking the comments from our communities, many of which have been extremely positive, on-board.
“We will now be pulling together a report to the council’s cabinet that incorporates the findings we have already received.”
Cllr Loudon adds: “Wigan Schools for the Future is our chance to leave a legacy of excellence to our children that will allow them to compete on a global scale and has the potential to improve the quality of life for all.
“Today’s fantastic announcement means we have the chance to shape our own future. Let’s do it, let’s do it together and let’s do it well!”
