Hartsdown Technology College, Margate

by political editor Paul Francis

Schools who have been told their rebuilding plans have been scrapped could still be in line for help under a new government scheme.

will not be rebuilt under the scrapped Building Schools for The Future programme.Kent County Council has been told by education secretary Michael Gove that schools in Thanet and Gravesham

KCC had challenged that decision in the High Court and a judge ordered the government to reconsider its decision.

Education secretary Michael Gove announced this week that after a review, he had decided they would not go ahead.

Instead, he revealed plans for a new Private Finance Initiative which will see between 100 and 300 of the country’s most delapidated schools rebuilt.

KCC leader Cllr Paul Carter said that while he was disappointed by the news, there remained a glimmer of hope for the affected schools. He also welcomed the government’s announcement that it will pay the legal costs incurred by the councils who took the government to court.

"Our position has always been that those schools who have been disappointed should be top of the list in the new programme. On the basis that the government is saying money should go to the most delapidated schools in areas of high deprivation, we have a good case."

He added: "We can show that we can build good quality schools without bells and whistles and I think there could be good news in the Autumn."

KCC is likely to recover the money it spent preparing bids for the schools under the BSF scheme - thought to be in the region of £7m to £12m.

Cllr Carter said he did not regret taking legal action over the decision to scrap the BSF scheme.

"We have recovered our costs and ministers are now very sensitive to the priority needs of schools in Thanet and Gravesham."

Mr Gove said: "I appreciate the local authorities will be disappointed. But this decision does not mean no new school buildings in their areas. They will all be eligible for support from the new programmes I am establishing to cater for population growth in the areas most in need and the worst dilapidation."