Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced billions of pounds for crumbling schools, hospitals and courts after years of neglect
Britain’s crumbling schools, hospitals and courts will receive billions of pounds of investment after years of Tory neglect, the Government has announced.
Today Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out a 10-year plan to finally tackle the “decay that has seeped into our everyday lives” and deal with soaring repair bills.
The Government has pledged to spend £10billion a year on fixing public buildings in England and Wales by 2035. On top of this there will be a huge £725billion in longer-term funding for maintenance and major projects.
Backers have claimed the strategy could be “the turning point Britain needs”. The cash committed will include a £38billion capital boost for England’s schools by the end of the decade, with 750 set to be rebuilt in that time. The Chancellor has pledged that maintence funding for schools, which were left reeling by the dodgy concrete scandal two years ago, will hit nearly £3billion a year by 2035.
Ministers have pledged to make sure the failings of the botched HS2 project are never repeated. The Government says its 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will create a jobs boost and drive investment into the UK.
Ms Reeves said: “Infrastructure is crucial to unlocking growth across the country, but for too long investment has been squeezed. Crumbling public buildings are a sign of the decay that has seeped into our everyday lives because of a total failure to plan and invest.
“We’re not just fixing buildings – we’re enhancing public services, improving lives and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth in communities throughout the UK. This will deliver the decade of national renewal we promised Britain, and fulfil our Plan for Change goals to kickstart economic growth, and build an NHS fit for the future.”
The Government has vowed to eliminate reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from NHS buildings. The cheap material, which has been used in public buildings for over 60 years, sparked a crisis in Britain’s schools in 2023, when more than 100 buildings had to be closed amid fears they could collapse.
Prisons in England and Wales will be awarded at least £600million a year to improve safety and security amid growing alarm in the justice sector. There will also be cash for “enhanced” law courts to ensure cases are dealth with faster.
Progress will be monitored by the Government’s new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which was set up earlier this year.
A damning report by the National Audit Office (NAO) earlier this year said it would cost an enormous £13.8billion to repair the country’s schools. Today the Government said it is giving a long-term commitment to improve the standard of school buildings.
The School Rebuilding Programme will include an investment of nearly £20billion over the next decade. This will fund rebuilding projects at over 500 schools in England, while a further 250 will be identified in the next two years.
Sam Richards, who heads pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said: “After years of drift, a long-term infrastructure strategy backed by serious investment could be the turning point Britain needs.”
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Britain has long been crying out for a serious, long-term infrastructure plan. Across our schools, hospitals, reservoirs and railways we have invested too little for too long.
“We have a vital opportunity to rebuild our country after more than a decade of Conservative mismanagement and neglect. We must grab it with both hands.”