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Eight BSF schemes get early green light
23 June, 2008A number of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) schemes have been fast tracked, it has been revealed.
A number of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) schemes have been fast tracked, it has been revealed.
Eight councils across the country - Enfield; Hounslow; North Tyneside; Rotherham; Southampton; Staffordshire; Walsall and Worcestershire, have been granted the opportunity to have their schools projects brought forward by as much as five years.
The news follows Partnerships for Schools' invitation for all councils with a BSF scheme scheduled as Wave Seven Eight or Nine to apply for fast tracking.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "This is outstanding news for children, parents, teachers in these communities. It is right to give the go-ahead to projects which are ready to start so local authorities can target the schools that need it most.
"Our record investment over the last 11 years has made massive strides in addressing the depressing legacy of underinvestment in secondary schools. But we want to go further.
"Building Schools for the Future will transform the shape of education in every single community and future generations will reap the rewards of these fantastic new learning environments and facilities."
All 33 councils in Waves Seven to Nine were eligible to apply, although only 18 did. Of those 18 only eight were presently capable of beginning their new builds immediately.
The long, drawn-out sale of British Energy (BE) to EDF Energy has come to an end after the French energy firm bought BE for £12.5 billion, it has been reported.
Government hopes to have an EDF Energy-British Energy (BE) tie up within two weeks have been dubbed "optimistic" by the British nuclear company, according to a recent report.
Gordon Brown is facing the prospect of a major defeat over the government's reluctance to impose a windfall tax on energy companies, it has been reported.
The City of London has launched a campaign against Gordon Brown in order to convince him that introducing a windfall tax on energy companies should be avoided.
TaylorWimpey has reported phenomenally poor first half results for the year so far, recording a loss of £1.5 billion, it has been announced.