Mould-ridden school building to be demolished

A primary school building is to be demolished and rebuilt after it became unsafe due to extensive mould and rotting timber.

Lincolnshire County Council said design flaws at Ancaster Church of England Primary School led to a high level of mould spores in the air of a building, which meant it could no longer be used safely and pupils were moved in 2024 to mobile classrooms costing £1,429 per week.

The lack of maintenance by the school meant it had invalidated its insurance, making it impossible to recover any costs.

Councillor Brenda Collier said: "I hope strong lessons are learnt for the sake of the children. It's such a shame more thought wasn't put in - what a terrible waste of money."

Another councillor, Neil Carrey, said: "It's crazy no-one can be accountable for this."

Problems with mould and damp in the two-classroom block were initially blamed on leaking toilets and the roof, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, investigations found standing water beneath the floors which had seeped into the timber frame were the cause following tests in March 2024.

The building, which was built in 2015 and had been expected to last up to 25 years, was shut three months later.

Dave Pennington, head of capital projects at the council, said: "The site is built on a high water table which was not catered for in the design and compromised the building."

Natalie Oliver, the portfolio holder for children, said: "It's outrageous we find ourselves in this situation due to lack of maintenance."

Oliver is urging the authority to carry out condition surveys biannually, instead of every five years.

The council's culture and children's committee was told it had limited powers on how schools maintained their buildings.

Costs of the demolition and new construction have been kept confidential by the council for financial reasons.

The new block of classrooms is expected to be ready by spring 2027.

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