'School cash is being raided to plug funding gaps' - councillor claims
Council chiefs have been accused of a “raid” on education funds to help pay for a south Leeds school expansion.
Around £2.2m put towards an upgrade of Broomfield South school in Belle Isle includes cash first intended for school improvements elsewhere, it is claimed.
An extra 100 places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be added to the school in the Middleton Park council ward.
Expanding the Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (SILC) is set to cost up to £25m, part funded by cash contributions from housing developers.
Stewart Golton, Leeds Liberal Democrat leader, said developer contributions were being diverted from other council wards, including almost £740,000 from his Rothwell ward.
He said: “It is outrageous how officers have been allowed to raid funds that were dedicated to improving local education provision so that they can fill a hole in their investment programme elsewhere.”
Figures obtained by Coun Golton show funds were also being drawn from housing developments in the Morley and Kippax and Methley wards.
He said the developer cash was being used after a bid for government funding for the Broomfield project was rejected.
Coun Golton said: “It’s not the fault of children in Rothwell and Morley that the council’s bid to finance the rebuild of Broomfield was judged unworthy of funding, so why should they lose out because of it?”
Developers make the financial contributions as part of Section 106 legal agreements with the council.
Leeds City Council pointed out that children from all over south Leeds attend Broomfield school.
Use of the Section 106 money would avoid the funds being lost under clawback deadlines agreed with the developers.
A spokesperson said: “The use of Section 106 education contributions for this project was decided after due process.”
The Broomfield scheme was launched to help address a rise in the number of children needing specialist school places. A post-16 satellite learning centre has already opened at White Rose Park.
The spokesperson said: “Although we have created more than 450 specialist learning places across the city since 2020, we continue to respond to the need for additional specialist provision, growing our provision where necessary.
“Broomfield SILC serves children from across south Leeds, beyond its own ward, so additional specialist provision depends on Section 106 contributions from wards in the south of the city.”
The new school places at Broomfield SILC are set to be available from September 2027.