AQW 6614/16-21

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 07/11/2016
Answered On Date: 21/11/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail what capital investment is planned for schools in East Belfast by May 2021.

Answer:

There are several ongoing capital programmes to improve accommodation across the schools’ estate funded from the Department’s capital budget, however, Capital Budgets for future years are not yet confirmed.

A Major Capital projects for Elmgrove Primary School was announced to proceed to planning in January 2013 and is due to commence in July 2017 to provide a new nursery school followed by the refurbishment and extension of the main school building. It is anticipated that completion will be in August 2018 at an estimated cost of £9.953m.

There is currently 1 School Enhancement Programme (SEP) scheme in East Belfast, for Strandtown Primary School. The SEP proposal at the school involves the construction of 12 new classrooms and removal of four mobile classrooms to address the existing under-provision of teaching facilities. The project has an approved total cost of £3.972m, which includes the construction works, professional fees, statutory charges and F&E. The Education Authority (EA) is hopeful that works will commence in early 2017.

I have already stated that it is my intention to make a second call for applications under the School Enhancement Programme and I hope to be in a position to do so in the near future.

In addition, there is a substantive programme of work progressing under the Minor Capital Works Programme across the schools’ estate. Due to the reactive nature and the volume of these works it is not possible to give a breakdown of planned projects. At present only schemes that meet inescapable statutory requirements such as Health and Safety, Fire Protection and statutory obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act, are progressing to delivery.