MORE than £11 million has been spent on school building projects in the South West that have now been controversially scrapped, it emerged earlier this week.

The figure came to light as hundreds of teachers and parents travelled to Parliament to protest about the axing of Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

As the Bridgwater and Burnham Times has reported, four West schools saw their refurbishment projects axed, while other schemes were put under review.

The Local Government Association said schools in the region spent £11,226,028 on BSF schemes that had been cancelled, part of more than £203 million nationally.

Yesterday's Save Our Schools rally was organised by the NASUWT teaching union, and South West executive member Jo Ramsey said it was a worry money had already been spent.

She said: "There has to be concern about the schools which are in a very run-down condition. We should be talking about making these schools the best, rather than leave them in this sad situation. I can remember the 1980s, when we had to have buckets in schools because of the rain – this echoes that."

Bridgwater was the West's worst-hit community when Education Secretary Michael Gove first wielded the axe, as he said projects for East Bridgwater, Haygrove and Penrose schools would be scrapped.

The town's other three schools – Chilton Trinity, Elmwood and Robert Blake – were also due to be refurbished as part of the £85 million scheme and Mr Gove said they would be reviewed.