Richmond Council is set to allocate £1.5 million towards urgent maintenance work at its schools in the next financial year, as detailed in proposals reviewed by the Education and Children's Services Committee on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
The programme, known as the Education Schools Condition Allocation Capital Maintenance Programme for 2026/27, prioritises essential works to prevent school closures, address safeguarding concerns, and rectify urgent health and safety issues. Key projects identified for the £1.548 million programme include boiler replacements and emergency lighting installations at several schools.
When the total value of school bids for maintenance work exceeds the available funds, projects are prioritised based on a strict set of criteria: Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Impact on the curriculum, and the Potential to close the school. If projects achieve the same overall score, they are then ranked according to their scores in individual criteria, in the order listed above.
Charles Booth, Assistant Director for Programme Management Office, presented the report, noting that while the Department for Education's allocation is anticipated to be around £1.450 million, this has not kept pace with construction inflation, creating a backlog of essential maintenance. He explained that condition surveys are a rolling process to inform future maintenance programmes, while urgent health and safety works are addressed as immediate needs arise, such as unexpected boiler failures or roofing issues.
Councillor Rob O'Carroll raised concerns about the clarity of the appendix detailing projects, particularly distinguishing between school-specific works and general condition surveys. Mr. Booth clarified the distinction, as outlined above.
Concerns were also raised about the ongoing need for roof replacements at Stanley Primary School, which Councillor O'Carroll noted had been an issue during her son's attendance there. Mr. Booth confirmed that the current proposals were for different roof areas and not related to previous poor construction.
The report also highlighted that a reserve list of projects has been identified should additional funding become available. Projects are added to this reserve list if they are not funded in the main programme due to limitations. While the Department for Education's award in 2025/26 was more generous than expected, allowing some backlog maintenance to be addressed, concerns remain that funds need to be at a higher level for several years to mitigate the risk of school closures. Past experience shows that additional funding can become available, as seen when a more generous DfE award in 2025/26 allowed projects on the reserve list to be funded.
The committee recommended approving the new schemes totalling £1.548 million and delegating authority to the Assistant Director for Programme Management Office to bring forward projects from the reserve list if additional funding becomes available. The full details of the proposed programme can be found in the Revised Appendix D - ECS Q3 Capital Programme.
