Birmingham City Council has approved urgent repair works at Lindsworth School in Kings Norton, despite opposition councillors expressing concern and disappointment over the situation.
Safety Risks Identified
Risk assessments revealed the school's fire doors were very damaged and failed to meet current fire rating standards. Many walls also have holes that could allow smoke or fire to spread between compartments, creating serious safety risks for children with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties who attend the school.
Approved Repairs
The council has approved £2.49 million for fire door replacements and compartmentation works. An additional £2.5 million is needed for urgent roof replacement after inspections found flat and pitched roofs are in poor condition and significantly deteriorated.
Conservative councillor Ewan Mackey criticised the situation, stating: For seven years, I've seen small, minor repairs not carried out which end up with a huge bill at the end of the day. He added that while no general fund was used, it is still residents' money.
Council officers explained that although current doors remain compliant, they require weekly and monthly assessments due to damage caused by the nature of the children attending. Temporary measures including wire mesh have been installed to support failing ceiling sections in the Cadbury Block.
The council warned that without intervention, leaks and roof failures will continue to disrupt teaching, damage the building fabric, and increase health and safety risks. Both sets of works will be funded from the School Condition Allocation to ensure children have a suitable, safe, and dry space to learn.
