A “bold decision” to borrow £26 million up front and build on work begun under the previous administration meant Rivertree Special School opened years earlier and avoided spiralling costs, according to senior figures at Bedford Borough Council.
That’s according to the council’s portfolio holder for valuing families: children’s services, cllr Jane Walker (Conservative, Clapham & Oakley) and service director – education, SEND and school infrastructure, Chris Morris.
They told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the council’s choice to temporarily borrow the full cost of Rivertree Special School, before receiving government grant money, was the “decisive move” that allowed the school to be built in just over two years.
Read: “Monumental moment” as new Kempston SEND school welcomes its first pupils
But Councillor Walker was clear that the project was well advanced before the Conservatives took office in 2023.
“We’re not taking credit for all that work,” she said. “Councillor James Valentine [the former portfolio holder for education and children’s service] was a big part of that before, getting it sorted.
“Mayor Tom Wootton made the final decision to borrow, but the foundations were laid beforehand.”
The DfE first promised Bedford a new special school in 2016, after forecasts showed the borough would need 200 places by 2020.
Loan decision
But by 2023, no building work had started. “We were sitting in 2023 still without even a spade in the ground,” Mr Morris said. “We’d expanded St John’s and Ridgeway as much as we could, but we still didn’t have enough places.”
Although the council received written confirmation from the DfE that funding would be provided, the money itself had not arrived.
Officers advised the incoming administration to borrow the £26 million to sign contracts and start construction while the government’s cash caught up. Mayor Wootton signed an executive order authorising the borrowing shortly after taking office in May 2023.
“We just knew that if we didn’t do it ourselves, it wouldn’t happen,” said councillor Walker.
“Cambridgeshire were promised a school at the same time and they’re still waiting. If we had waited, the costs would have almost doubled.
“I’ve no doubt it was the right decision for the children and for the finances [to borrow the money] we wouldn’t have Rivertree now if we hadn’t made that decision.”
Mr Morris contrasted Bedford’s self-delivery model with DfE-run schemes: “It’s almost unheard of to go from putting a spade in the ground to children being there in just over two years.
“The DfE’s process is much slower. They have fixed cost frameworks and if costs rise, contractors often hand the project back, leading to delays.”
The total cost of the scheme was around £26 million, significantly lower than comparable projects elsewhere. Councillor Walker pointed to Central Bedfordshire’s Ivel Valley School, where rebuilding is “expected to cost £55 million”.
Mr Morris added that delaying would have increased long-term revenue costs, because the council would have had to keep paying for expensive out-of-borough placements and transport for children with additional needs.
Read: Mayor describes Rivertree Free School as “a vision for inclusion and excellence”
Rivertree now educates 120 pupils, including several from neighbouring Central Bedfordshire, in purpose-built facilities.
Mr Morris described the school as “a jewel in the crown” of local education.
“Having this school has made a massive difference,” he added. “Children are happier, parents are happier, and other schools can focus their resources where they’re most needed.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
