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Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, responds to a report by the National Audit Office on capital funding for schools.

"Councils have a statutory duty to ensure every child has a school place available to them but are under extreme pressure to accommodate rapidly rising numbers of pupils looking for a place.

"If we're to meet the demand for school places then existing academy schools should expand where required, or councils should be given back the powers to open new maintained schools.

"No child should be without a place but councils fear that they will no longer be able to meet the rising costs for the creation of spaces, nor find the space for new classes, if they aren't given the money or powers to do so.

"LGA research shows that councils have already diverted over £1 billion of their own budgets to create more places. This is set to increase as new developments and government programmes come into play. 

"If the crisis is to be dealt with properly the Government must commit to funding the creation of school places and hand powers back to councils so that they can open new schools, for both primary and secondary-age pupils."

View report:  Capital funding for schools