Newport Council ‘borrowing heavily' to fund school rebuild
The figure, which this April stood at £168.4 million, is 'above the council's operational boundary', councillors heard at a meeting this week.
However, that limit is 'a management tool for in-year monitoring', said Cllr Batrouni, who added it was 'not significant if the operational boundary is breached on occasion due to variations in cash flow, and this is not counted as a compliance failure'.
'In layman's terms, we're borrowing heavily on our school rebuilding programme,' the leader explained. 'Our schools need huge amounts of investment. It's the right thing to borrow.'
He added the council would 'need to manage that carefully, given interest rates', but said he hoped the Bank of England would 'follow through' on indications lower rates were on the horizon.
'Our outlook for the next few years is a further need to borrow as our capital programme is delivered and our reserves are used over time,' said Cllr Batrouni.
'Officers will continue to monitor interest rates closely to ensure we always get the best interest rates for any new borrowing, and liaising with our external treasury advisers,' he added.
School building projects in Newport
The council's Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme invests in school improvements through match funding with the Welsh Government. Current projects include a new sports hall, replacement blocks and the relocation of the primary school.
Work has started on a new sports hall at Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, in Duffryn, and work is due to be completed this year.
There are ongoing designs for Caerleon Comprehensive School.
In December 2024, the new £17m Pill Primary School opened on Mendalgief Road next to the Royal Victoria Court development.
Work is now underway to fully refurbish the old Pill Primary School building in Capal Crescent ready for Ysgol Gymraeg Nant Gwenlli.
A new state-of-the-art teaching block has been built at Bassaleg Comprehensive School and St Andrew's had its junior school section fully re-built.
Finally, Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed had a new teaching/dining space along with a 3G sports pitch.
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