Hundreds of school modernisation projects are to start early after the Government announced it was accelerating up to £800 million capital investment by 12 months.

The Pre-Budget Report announced that funding originally earmarked for the Primary Capital Programme (PCP) and three other capital programmes in 2010-11 is now available in 2009-10.

Overall schools capital spending has risen seven-fold in real terms over the last decade – up from under £700m in 1997 to £6.67billion this year. This announcement adds to the £7.02 billion capital investment already being pumped into schools next year.

All 150 local authorities in England are being asked to identify building and refurbishment spending which can be brought forward - with the funding being released from April 2009.

The vast bulk of the projects that can be brought forward will be small-scale modernisations and refurbishments – giving immediate cash injections to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses fitting out these new facilities.

The full details of the announcement are:

£800 million to be advanced 12 months from the 2010-11 allocations from the Primary Capital Programme; Local Authority Modernisation Grant; Locally Controlled Voluntarily Aided Programme and Targeted Capital Fund for 14-19, SEN and disabilities fund.

The specific programmes involved are:

Primary Capital Programme: 41 local authorities with approved strategies for the next two years could bring forward up to nationally £280 million from 2010-11. The DCSF announced earlier this month it is working with the other local authorities to bring their plans up to speed quickly.

Local Authority Modernisation Grant (capital grant): to improve the infrastructure of the school estate (other than voluntary-aided schools and academies) - up to £470 million could be brought forward;

Locally Controlled Voluntarily Aided Programme: to improve the infrastructure of the voluntary-aided school estate; to support the provision of new pupil places; and to facilitate physical access to schools - up to £220 million could be brought forward;

Targeted Capital Fund for 14-19; Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: to provide additional funding to areas not currently in the BSF programme to build facilities to deliver 14 to 19 reforms; diplomas; and to improve facilities for SEN and disabled pupils those local - up to £460 million could be brought forward.

Local authorities are being asked to identify by Christmas what is suitable expenditure to bring forward, depending on the readiness of locally managed projects – the Government will confirm by decisions by January 16 2009.

Building Schools for the Future

This announcement is in addition to ongoing measures taken to accelerate the Building Schools for the Future programme,

The Pre Budget Report sets out that the 41 local authorities able to bring forward 2010-11 Primary Capital Programme funding to next year: Barnet, Bracknell Forest, Bradford, Bromley, Camden, Cornwall, Coventry, Darlington, Devon, Doncaster, Dorset, Ealing, Essex, Gateshead, Gloucestershire, Greenwich, Hackney, Hampshire, Harrow, Hartlepool, Hertfordshire, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Kirklees, Lambeth, Leicester, Lewisham, Lincolnshire, Luton, Middlesbrough, Newham, Portsmouth, Redbridge, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmond upon Thames, Rutland, Tameside, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire

The full local authority funding breakdown and other background material on Primary Capital Programme is at: [1] www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/pcp/