A COUNCIL leader has refused to say when upgrades to secondary schools could be carried out as he can’t “promise money that doesn’t exist”. 

Councillor Anthony Hunt was pressed on the state of school buildings at Torfaen Borough Council’s October meeting. 

Llantarnam member David Thomas said after attending open evenings at Cwmbran High and Croesyceiliog he was “amazed” at the differences in facilities and said there was a “clear disparity”. 

The Reform Party councillor said he recognised the building at Cwmbran High, formed following an amalgamation of Fairwater and Llantarnam schools, was much older but asked how the council was addressing the “inequality” for students attending the school. 

Cllr Hunt, who initially said “high quality education is not reliant on buildings”, said the authority has invested more than £121 million under the 21st Century Schools Programme during the past two decades. 

But the Labour leader said while the council will “ensure every pound available” for school improvement is found he recognised there is more to do, but said that is limited by the available funding. 

The Panteg councillor said: “I recognise the fact that many schools have been done is of little reassurance to the schools still awaiting work, and it’s not just Cwmbran High, but especially secondary schools, Abersychan, West Mon and St Albans I would love to release capital funding to improve them, and will work hard, but we can’t promise money that doesn’t exist.” 

Councillors have previously been told responsibility for capital, or one off spending, at St Albans in Pontypool lies with the Catholic Archdiocese, but the council would work with it. 

Cllr Hunt said the council is limited in how it can raise capital funding as it doesn’t have “a lot of high value sites” it could sell and if it was to raise money from borrowing that could reduce the amount of revenue funding, to cover day to day spending and regular running cost, it can make available to schools. 

Cllr Hunt said the council has his assurance he will continue to lobby national government for funding for school building which he said is good for education and the local economy. 

He also said investment in local schools is apparent with the expansion of the Crownbridge Special School and Maindy Primary’s new building in Cwmbran and an additional needs block at Cwmbran High.