Somerset Council has temporarily paused a planned £13.7 million redevelopment of Wellsprings Primary School in Taunton as it seeks funding from the Department for Education (DfE). The school, located on Crowcombe Road in the north of Taunton, has had to close its assembly hall to staff and pupils due to concerns over the structural integrity of the concrete, which has left the building at “significant risk of collapse”.
In response to these issues, the council recently approved plans to construct a new modular hall on the school playground at a cost of around £500,000. However, the larger project involving a major rebuild or refurbishment of the school has been placed on hold amid the council’s challenging financial circumstances. Officers are now pursuing funding directly from the DfE to support these improvements.
Under the Education Act 1996, local authorities are legally required to ensure that school buildings are safe, well-maintained, and accessible within walking distance of pupils' homes. The DfE provides annual grants to cover ongoing maintenance and repairs, but in this case, Somerset Council remains responsible for repairs at Wellsprings as it is maintained under local authority control rather than an academy trust.
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The existing hall was constructed using the Orlit method, a form of prefabricated reinforced concrete widely used in school buildings between the 1950s and 1970s, which has raised safety concerns.
Somerset Council’s capital programme, approved in March, includes a commitment to spending £13.7 million on the Wellsprings Primary rebuild between April 2026 and March 2030, with about £5 million allocated for the current financial year. However, the decision to delay this project was reported in a wider review of the council’s capital programme presented to the executive committee on August 5.
A council spokesperson commented: “The Wellsprings School major project within the school condition programme has been paused due to a submission for funding being made to the DfE’s school rebuilding programme. A final decision from the DfE is not expected until the spring of 2027.”
The same report also noted delays to the construction of two new primary schools, one in Chard and another on the Wilstock housing estate near Bridgwater, citing rising costs and other factors.
The council has clarified that the new modular hall will continue as planned to provide interim accommodation while the permanent solution is determined. “The projects are related but they are to be delivered and funded independently,” the spokesperson added. “There are no plans to demolish the school hall at this early stage. We will await the outcome of the school rebuilding programme bid and continue to monitor the structure, undertaking any necessary support work in the meantime. Should the bid be successful, the full scope of the project will be determined, as funding decisions from the DfE will largely influence the scope of works.”
This cautious approach reflects the council’s efforts to maintain school safety and manage limited resources while seeking a long-term resolution to the structural issues affecting Wellsprings Primary School.