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All local authorities will be able to join the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme earlier, under new government proposals. The surprise announcement, which also ties the initiative to wider regeneration schemes, has been widely welcomed. More than 1,000 school building projects in 72 local authorities are already under way in the first six waves of BSF, but the Government now wants the remaining 76 to join the programme ‘as fast as possible'. Announcing the streamlined scheme, schools minister, Jim Knight, said local authorities would be able to join as soon as they had ‘strong plans' in place, instead of during year-on-year set launches. They will also get greater flexibility to invest in schools and target funding. ‘Instead of waiting, we want to give more scope to target pockets of deprivation and underperforming schools now, by giving remaining local authorities the chance of early entry as soon as they are ready.' Mr Knight also revealed BSF would have a wider range of criteria when prioritising projects, including areas with major social regeneration and development projects. This includes areas planning wider community facilities, such as children's centres and extended schools facilities. The British Property Federation's (BPF) chairman of regeneration and development committee Ken Dytor said the move could be ‘vital' to unlocking new money, new homes and new communities. ‘This is a welcome move and shows clear recognition of the work the BPF has been doing to promote the benefits of allowing developers to use government funds for infrastructure projects as a catalyst for bigger regeneration schemes,' he said. Partnerships for Schools said the announcement was a ‘welcome step' which would enable more local authorities to join the programme earlier than was previously possible.

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ECONOMIC GROWTH

Whitehall steps up school building drive

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