£40 million additional maintenance funding for schools in Wales

An extra £40.5 million of funding has been allocated to support essential capital repairs and maintenance across schools, colleges and universities in Wales.

The funding builds on £20 million announced for schools and colleges in January.

The money will be used to support large-scale maintenance works such as replacement of roofs, window systems, heating and ventilation systems, and electrical works.

The funding comes from Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme and Medr.

£15 million will be allocated across all local authorities in Wales for schools. £25.5 million will be allocated equally to colleges and universities to invest into transformation and maintenance projects.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, said: "In the last ten years we have invested £3.6 billion in over 330 projects to build and improve new school and college buildings in every local authority, through the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme.

"This funding has helped to provide modern, fit for purpose buildings, designed to educate the next generation and invested in our local communities.

"The additional funding announced today will help support local authorities across Wales to invest once again in our school estate."

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells, said: "Investing in our colleges and universities buildings, is also an investment in delivering our future skills and ambitions as a nation.

"The additional money once again reinforces our commitment to post 16 learning and ensures learners benefit from sustainable learning environments.

"The funding will help colleges with increased participation in vocational courses, this includes expanding workshops and adapting learning spaces.

"For universities investment is via Medr and will allow universities to continue to fund projects that have helped generate long-term running cost savings through increased energy efficiency and reduced ongoing maintenance costs and enhance student experience through improved student facilities and digital services."