LGA calls for council powers to create more schools

The calls come as the government announces £1.6bn worth of funding to create new school places over the next three years.

The money can only be used to create new academies, free schools or to expand existing council-run schools.

Local authorities are prevented from opening new schools due to requirements in the 2010 Academies Act.

An LGA spokesman said councils are struggling to find more spaces in existing schools and the government needs to urgently hand back their power to open new schools before the shortage of available places hits crisis point.

“Councils and schools are already doing everything they can to provide places, in some cases going to extraordinary lengths to do so," the spokesman said.
 
“But we fear a tipping point could soon emerge when councils and schools can no longer afford the massive costs for the creation of places, nor find the space necessary for new classes, if this school places crisis is not properly dealt with.
 
“We do not want any child to be without a place. That is why, at a time when parents are making big decisions about their child’s future, we are calling on the government to commit to funding the creation of school places and hand councils the powers to open new schools, for both primary and secondary-age pupils, before time runs out.”

The funding package announced by the Department for Education allocates £1.3bn during 2017 and 2018, as well as £300m over 2015 to 2017 for places in areas with significant and unexpected increases in pupil numbers.