All the Suffolk schools and hospitals set for share of £1.2 billion for essential repairs and maintenance, including Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Stowmarket, Mildenhall and more
Essential maintenance and repairs are set to take place at nearly two dozen schools and hospitals across Suffolk.
The Government has announced £147 million in funding for 106 schools (£80 million in total) and 55 hospitals, mental health units and ambulance sites (£67 million) in the East of England – for a total of £1.2 billion across England.
In total, four NHS sites and 19 schools are in for a share of the pot, all of which will take place by the end of the 2025/26 financial year, with the earliest set for the summer.
Ipswich Hospital will share £7,984,000 alongside Colchester General Hospital.
This will go towards structural works, alongside improvements to energy, electrical, water and ventilation systems, internal building fabric and fixtures, lift upgrades, fire safety work, replacement of nurse call systems and asbestos works, among other smaller projects, across both sites.
Wedgwood House, a mental health unit in Bury St Edmunds, and Woodlands, in Ipswich, will share £1,350,000 alongside two other institutes in Norfolk, for fire safety works.
The following schools will also be granted funding:
► Forest Academy, Brandon – urgent safeguarding and security works; urgent boiler replacement
► Holbrook Academy – weather tightness
► St Mary’s Church of England Academy, Mildenhall – urgent safeguarding; urgent boiler replacement
►The Ashley School, Lowestoft – urgent roofing replacements
► Elveden Church of England Primary Academy – urgent safeguarding improvement
► Parkside Academy, Ipswich – fire safety
► Olive AP Academy, Stowmarket – electrical replacement works; fire safety and asbestos works
► Mellis Church of England Primary School – fabric watertightness
► Springfield Junior School, Ipswich – urgent boiler and heating distribution replacement
► Alderwood Academy, Ipswich – safeguarding improvement
► Brooklands Primary School, Brantham – boiler replacement
► Morland Church of England Primary School, Ipswich – boiler replacement
► Crawford’s Church of England Primary School, Haughley – urgent fire safety and electrical improvements
► St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School, Ipswich – electrical distribution replacement
► Broke Hall Community Primary School, Rushmere St Andrew – urgent roof refurbishment
► Freeman Community Primary School, Stowupland – fire safety and electrical improvements
► Chilton Community Primary School, Stowmarket – urgent boiler and heating distribution replacement
►Abbot’s Hall Community Primary School, Stowmarket – urgent fire door replacement and compartmentation improvements
► Kersey Church of England Primary School – urgent window replacement works
It is not stated how much each school will receive.
Forest Academy got funding last year to replace old windows and doors, making classrooms more energy efficient and warmer.
April Grimes, Forest Academy headteacher, said: “The newly installed windows and doors are both practical and visually appealing. Designed to be in keeping with the character of the building while offering the benefits of modern materials and construction, they have brought about a significant transformation.
“This project has not only preserved the heritage of our school building but also ensured it continues to meet the needs of our school community in a safe, secure, and energy-efficient way.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support provided through funding and the positive impact it has made across our school environment.”
