Extra money could be on the way for a new special school planned in Rhondda Cynon Taf. A report approved by the council’s cabinet on Monday, September 26, recommended asking the Welsh Government to consider increasing the funding available for the special school, which would be the fifth in RCT.
The council will submit a request to the Welsh Government for an increase to the agreed capital funding to create the school under the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (formerly 21st Century Schools). Costs for this project have increased from an estimated £35m to £53.3m and the council said it exceeds the remaining funding available within the Band B allocation.
The council has put this down to challenges like the rising cost of construction materials, increased global demand in the construction sector, the impact of the Covid pandemic, logistics issues and the invasion of Ukraine, as well as the resulting cost increases of a number of Band B projects. Current estimates suggest the council needs to increase the capital funding for the project by £32.3m, which will increase the overall investment programme to £284.5m, with Welsh Government contributing up to 75% towards this.
