DECISION makers at Leeds City Council have given the green light to completely rebuild a school in Rawdon – but warn more schemes like this would be needed in the coming years.

Members of the authority’s executive board agreed to spend £28m on rebuilding Benton Park School.

The meeting heard how the school is currently in such a state of disrepair, that it had to close for two weeks earlier this year due to damage to its roof.

Councillors also heard how Leeds had recently been granted an extra £62m of schools funding to help cover the increasing numbers of pupils expected in the coming years.

But Leeds City Council’s executive member for learning Coun Jonathan Pryor told the meeting, which was held remotely, that the extra money would ‘not touch the sides’ in helping cover the repairs and rebuilds needed at schools across the city.

He added both Royds and Wetherby schools needed at least £25m each to be rebuilt, but that government funding was currently only available for Benton Park.

Leader of Leeds City Council’s Conservatives group Coun Andrew Carter welcomed the funding, adding that additional funding would help the authority ‘proceed with other projects next year’.

Fellow opposition councillor Stewart Golton (Lib Dem) then challenged Coun Carter: “I am interested in this extra funding – I have not seen any extra funding announced for Royds or Wetherby.

“How is Leeds able to lobby for that money given the two schools are left high and dry at the moment in terms of accessing improvements?”

Benton Park School hopes to re-open next week after closure

Coun Pryor said: “The money [referred to by Coun Carter] is the basic needs funding. That money follows when we have a population increase.

“We are still pushing the government to rebuild Wetherby and Royds, but we have not got that money yet.”

Basic need funding is the money the government gives local authorities each year to help them make sure there are enough school places for children in their local area. The allocations announced in 2020 will allow local authorities to create the new school places they need by September 2022.

The authority’s director of children and families Saleem Tariq told the meeting he understood the council was expecting to receive £62m of basic needs funding from the government.

But Coun Pryor warned: “This will address a lot of the growth in the city but not the repair work. The two high schools needing to be rebuilt at £25m-£30m each, so even if our population remains static.

“While the £62m is welcome and is a significant sum, it barely touches the sides in terms of repair work.”

According to the plans released earlier this year, the new facility would “house traditional classrooms, specialist teaching spaces, sports hall, performance hall and multifunctional community facilities”.

It added the demolition of the majority of the existing  Benton Park School would make way for a new all-weather pitch.

However, the current Block 7 of the school would become a dedicated sixth form centre with pedestrian links to the new building.

A new car park and external play areas would be created, while renewable energy technology and ‘sustainable design principles’ are expected to make the building more environmentally friendly.