Liverpool City Council announces new finance plan for school refurbishment

Council leader Joe Anderson set up a special task force to look at the issue after £350m funding proposed as part of the cancelled scheme was withdrawn. The new plan "gives huge flexibility at a much lower cost," Anderson said.

The council had planned to rebuild or refurbish 26 schools under the BSF programme. The Government cancelled all BSF projects that had not reached "financial close" on 5 July 2010 as part of its spending review.

BSF would have seen £350m spent on Liverpool schools, according to council figures.

The first phase of the new project will refurbish eight schools in the council area between 2013 and 2017. Three of those schools would be rebuilt under an 'EdVenture' scheme, where schools are built to a structure similar to a modern airport terminal building. This is far cheaper than the traditional method and offers more flexibility, as the internal layout and even the entire use of the site can be changed in future, the council said.

"I am pleased that the city council is now in a position to bring forward some firm, deliverable proposals for consideration. We have addressed some of the key concerns of Government around the costs of Building Schools for the Future by coming up with an innovative alternative for constructing schools which gives huge flexibility at a much lower cost," said Anderson.

A proposed second phase of the scheme, which would take place after 2015, would see a further four schools rebuilt or refurbished the council said. However additional funding would be needed to carry out those plans.

"If we want to complete Phase Two as well we will need financial assistance from the Government so we will be doing our utmost to convince the Department for Education that it deserves a contribution from Whitehall," Anderson said.