New schools come step closer with Â£63m fund

Plans to rebuild five Hertfordshire schools - including a pair in Hemel Hempstead and Kings Langley- have come a step closer.

European cash worth £63million has been agreed for Longdean School in  Bennetts End and Kings  Langley School in Love Lane.

Other schools set to benefit include Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School in Hatfield, Goffs School in Waltham Cross, and Westfield Academy in  Watford.

East of England MEP  Richard Howitt described the news as a “major European  success story for schools,  parents and students”.

He said: “Secondary school students across Herts will have a better education in the future following today’s agreement.

“Local construction  companies will also benefit from the construction work in these and other schools across the country under the wider Priority School Building  Programme.

“This clearly shows the benefit of our European  Union membership to local people.”

The European money is not the only source of funding for the building programme, with both Dacorum schools also benefiting from the government’s £2billion Priority School Building Programme which has been split between 261 schools nationally.

The programme involves demolishing unused buildings and upgrading existing facilities. Building work for the new schools is expected to start in the coming weeks.