DELIVERING new schools in Somerset may take longer than originally hoped as the county council reviews its financial position.

Somerset County Council pledged in January to build 24 new and replacement schools across the county over the next four years, in order to deliver sufficient primary and secondary school places by 2023.

The council originally intended to spend £140M of capital funding on these schools over this four-year period, of which £116M would come from council borrowing with the remainder from developer contributions and the Department for Education.

The council is now reviewing its entire spending – including its school building programme – after its cabinet voted in September 12 to make £15M of cuts to more than 70 different services by 2020.

The council has said it remains confident that the new schools can be delivered – but has admitted that the programme may “move forward at a slower pace than previously anticipated.”

Councillor Faye Purbrick, cabinet member for education, spoke about the schools building programme at the meeting on September 12.

She said: “There are no specific savings for mainstream education services, but schools and education providers do have a key rule in ensuring that we meet the challenges that we face.

“We’ve got to look at how we provide [new schools] in the future. We’re reviewing all the areas we have to provide for, and are looking at alternative forms of funding – we’ve got to look at every pot we can possibly got money from.”

Ms Purbrick subsequently clarified the council only intended to borrow money – typically from the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) at low interest rates – if alternative sources of funding were not forthcoming.

Of the 24 new or replacement schools, seven will be built in Taunton, four in Bridgwater and three in Yeovil.

Burnham-on-Sea, Castle Cary, Chard, Crewkerne, Frome, Highbridge, Ilminster, Shepton Mallet, Somerton, Street and Wells will each get one additional school.

A council spokesman said: “As was discussed at the cabinet meeting last week, given the increased pressures on our finances, we will be reviewing all spending including our schools building programme – for instance, how it is funded and its time-scales.

“We will continue to work with district council colleagues to secure appropriate funding from developers as the population of Somerset grows, and are making requests to government for more grant funding to support the need for places.

“The need for many of the places will be linked to planning applications and housing developments, and some of these are likely to move forward at a slower pace than previously anticipated.”

Taunton Deane Borough Council’s scrutiny committee approved plans on Tuesday (September 18) to dedicate £6M of community infrastructure levy (CIL) funding – obtained from developers – towards the delivery of three new schools in the Taunton area.

The county council has said it is still able to access loans from PWLB, and said that it was “still confident” that it could provide all the school places needed by 2023.