COMMUNITY COULD LOSE OUT ON SCHOOL BUILDING USE AS CHANCELLOR DALLIES (Southwark Liberal Democrats)

Southwark Liberal Democrats <info@southwark-libdems.org.uk>

COMMUNITY COULD LOSE OUT ON SCHOOL BUILDING USE AS CHANCELLOR DALLIES

May 22, 2007 12:00 AM

Liberal Democrats on Southwark Council have warned that local communities are set to lose out on using school buildings because of delays by Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Southwark Lib Dems have been campaigning for some time to make new school buildings VAT exempt. In his budget in March, Gordon Brown made reference to accepting such a change but the delay in announcing details could hit Southwark hard.

"Southwark is about to embark on a massive school building programme," said Cllr Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Education and Children's Services on Southwark Council. "Our plan is for school buildings to be fully available for community use out of school hours. But the rules state that if more than 10% of the building's use is not for education then VAT must be applied. Clearly that would add a massive chunk to the cost and could make many projects unaffordable."

"As things stand the new buildings will be built, but without community use. The Chancellor has the power to change this and make our new school buildings fully usable by the community. However, since the budget we have heard no more details and so we cannot plan for community use. I have written to him urgently asking for the details that he promised two months ago."

"Put simply, whilst Gordon Brown is parading round the country as part of the Labour leadership contest, Southwark communities may miss out on being able to use our future sports and other facilities."

ENDS

Note: The new school buildings which, under current rules, could be subject to VAT if they are to be used by local people outside school hours are: