SCHOOLS’ RENEWAL PROGRAMME MOVES FORWARD

Land Securities Trillium and Northgate Information Solutions have been announced as Kent County Council’s preferred bidder to deliver the first phase of the Government’s £1.8 billion Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The announcement represents the first step towards a new £600 million public private partnership between KCC, Land Securities Trillium and Northgate Information Solutions and Partnerships for Schools (PfS) to refurbish or rebuild secondary schools and transform the delivery of education in the Gravesham, Swale, Canterbury and Thanet districts by 2014.

Land Securities Trillium and Northgate Information Solutions were chosen as Kent’s preferred bidder after a stringent selection and scoring process in line with European Union procurement rules and Government guidance. Mike Eddy, Labour Shadow Leader of KCC, says: “Kent has taken a step closer to delivering the Government’s key priority of high quality education for our kids. We will steadily get rid of our dated school buildings and introduce new ways of learning in new schools fit for the 21^st century.”

Christine Angell, Labour Shadow Cabinet Member for Education, says: “Labour has put in place the legal and financial building blocks for a modern education system. Now we are putting in place the building blocks for local schools and up-to-date teaching.”

Clive Hart, Labour Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, says: “Kent does very well out of the Labour Government. Over the next three years Government is giving more than the national average increase in direct funding to schools. And now we have the first part of a £1.8 billion investment in bricks and mortar and new teaching facilities.”