Herts Lib Dems Disappointed as Tories Short Change Schools to Support Bigger Profits for Housing Developers
Originally published by West Herts Liberal Democrats - Working for Hertfordshire, for Britain and for You!
L ib Dems were disappointed, but not surprised, when Hertfordshire Tories effectively voted to increase property developer profits by reducing the amount they have to pay to provide school places.
Counties can fix the amount of contribution developers must pay for new schools from within a range set by the Government. The Tory change in contribution, from the upper end of the range allowed in the regulations to the bottom end, was proposed by officers because it was 'too difficult to argue' after neighbouring authorities and the Government's own agency, the Education & Skills Funding Authority (ESFA), allowed developers to contribute the lowest possible amount for building schools to the lower specification.