Government confirms scrapped BSF schemes will not restart

The six councils that took the government to judicial review over the scrapping of their BSF schemes will not have the projects restarted, the education secretary confirmed today.

Michael Gove said today that he would stand by his initial decision, made in July, not to reinstate funding to the six local authorities that in a court case earlier this year won the right to have the withdrawal of their funds reconsidered. However, their contractual liabilities will be paid for by government.

Gove’s confirmation comes after the six councils were allowed to make further representations following his original verdict. The six were: Luton Borough council; Nottingham city council; Waltham Forest London borough council; Newham London borough council; Kent county council; and Sandwell metropolitan borough council.

Gove said: “I announced what I was minded to do in July and have received further representations from each of the claimant authorities. I considered these carefully but I am not persuaded that I should depart from the decision which I announced I was minded to take. My final decision is, therefore, not to fund the schools in the claim but, instead, to fund, in capital grant, the value of the claimant authorities proven contractual liabilities”.