Council rebellion over new schools

ALEX Salmond was last night facing a rebellion by councils which claim his government has failed to provide cash to replace Scotland's crumbling schools.

Council leaders – including nationalists – are planning to go it alone with desperately needed school rebuilding after concluding that the SNP's funding plans "lack substance" and have so far failed to deliver.

The damning assessment is contained in a confidential document, obtained by Scotland on Sunday, which reveals the mounting frustration over the failure of the key policy that was supposed to deliver new schools.

Prepared by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), the paper reveals that education chiefs have effectively given up on the government and are setting up their own task force to deal with the problem.

The revolt centres on the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), the body set up at a cost of £23 million to raise money for new infrastructure, including schools. The SFT was established as a result of Salmond's ideological objection to Public Private Partnership, the funding mechanism supported by Labour which brought private money into public projects.

But the SFT has been criticised as an expensive talking shop, which has failed to deliver any hard cash.

Scotland on Sunday has campaigned for the upgrading of schools, revealing that at least 10,000 schoolchildren are being taught in crumbling and condemned classrooms and that about 70 state schools are beyond repair.

The report was agreed by all representatives of Scotland's 32 councils whether Labour, Tory, Liberal, Independent or SNP at a meeting on Friday night that was attended by Cosla president Pat Watters. The report says the SFT "lacks substance" and was "not in any position" to fund new projects.

"The Scottish Government promised a new way of funding infrastructure… but has yet to deliver on its promises," the report said. "Scottish Futures Trust was meant to be the government's solution, but, so far, nothing has been forthcoming from that source and the (group] has for some time now been concerned and frustrated at the lack of answers from SFT… Local government needs to take control and come up with its own ideas."

The document reveals that a political task force will be set up to look at other funding options. The group would report to council leaders and would draw on the support of local government officers, academics and professionals.

The government would be invited to work with the group.

The original version of the report was even harder-hitting, urging the government to stop "hiding behind the smokescreen of SFT".

That phrase was removed at the request of Derek Mackay, the leader of the Cosla SNP group, who said the language was too contentious.

The council leaders also called for an urgent meeting with finance secretary John Swinney, who is the minister in charge of implementing the Futures Trust.

One councillor who was at the meeting said: "Our schools are falling down and people are losing thousands of jobs in the construction industry as a result of this, and the government is just burying their heads in the sand.

"SNP councillors are totally embarrassed about this. It is frustrating for everybody. We now have to get the bit between our teeth ourselves. This rebellion is happening because everyone is so frustrated."

Of Scotland's 32 councils, 14 are either led by Nationalists or have SNP politicians involved in ruling coalitions.

Labour leader Iain Gray said: "This is the final nail in the coffin for the Futures Trust and even the SNP's own councillors have turned against it. Scotland has paid a heavy price for Alex Salmond and John Swinney's dogma and incompetence.

"The Scottish building industry has warned that the SFT was a disaster and has cost Scotland 20,000 construction jobs as capital projects ground to a halt. The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce recently warned another 15,000 jobs will go.

"Now Cosla has sent a clear message to John Swinney that it is a failure. Not one new school has been built by the SNP, and their Futures Trust has produced the sum total of zero. The SNP is running out of time and it looks as if they will be unable to bring any projects forward by the 2011 election."

The Scottish Futures Trust was meant to deliver major projects, including schools and hospitals. An indication that it was not yet up to speed came when the SFT was overlooked when it came to funding the £2 billion Forth crossing, Scotland's largest capital project.

Moira Tregaskis, chairman of the Lochaber High School parent council, has been fighting to have her local secondary school buildings upgraded.

"The SNP stood up in parliament and said they were going to attend to all school buildings and they said the money would be there for it," said Tregaskis. "I don't know where that leaves them now. I am angry that children are still being taught in classrooms that are not wind and watertight, and we are not alone in Lochaber. Some children have gone right through their secondary education without buildings that are fit for purpose."

A spokesman for Swinney said: "The construction sector is performing better in Scotland than south of the Border. For example, the latest figures for construction orders show an increase of 0.4 per cent in Scotland in the first quarter of 2009, compared to a decrease of 9.3 per cent in England. And construction employment has risen by 1 per cent in Scotland.

"The Scottish Futures Trust, which is now backed by CBI Scotland, is already supporting investment as part of the Scottish Government's £35bn infrastructure programme for schools, hospitals, roads and other projects over the next decade. The SFT has taken charge of the programme delivery for two community hub developments in the south east and the north of Scotland to provide purpose-built community services, and will be involved in the commissioning of new schools projects this year."

He added: "Infrastructure investment is at record levels, with £3.5bn this year alone on transport, schools and hospitals, which is supporting 52,000 jobs in the economy and helping the construction sector.

"There are a number of projects under way that will continue to support jobs well beyond this year, including NHS Forth Valley's new acute hospital, M74 completion, the M80 Stepps to Haggs, the Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link and Ravenscraig Sports Complex.

"There is also a whole host of major schemes in the pipeline including the Forth replacement crossing. The UK Labour government's proposals to cut Scottish spending by £500m next year makes the role of SFT even more important in maximising value and impact from our capital spending budget."