A HEADTEACHER is calling for ‘super schools’ in Burnley and Pendle to have greater control over their own buildings.

Martin Burgess is frustrated that staff at Padiham’s Shuttleworth College have to contact a call centre if they need to adjust the heating system.

And it has been revealed that schools have to call a helpdesk in America to report computer-related issues.

Advisers then call engineers back in the UK who tackle the problem remotely.

Penalties can be imposed if a school attempts to bypass the helpdesk and does not follow correct procedures.

The county council confirmed that the super schools - built under Lancashire County Council’s £250m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme - do not have full control of lighting in the buildings either.

Education bosses said that in larger areas of the buildings, lighting is controlled in zones.

But work has been carried out to address teachers’ concerns over not being able to turn individual lights on and off.

The schools have been built under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) with contractor Catalyst Lend Lease.

Each of the schools include a building management system that controls and monitors mechanical and electrical equipment such as heating, ventilation, lighting, power, fire and security systems.

But staff at the schools, including headteachers, do not have access to those systems.

Instead they are operated by Vita Lend Lease, which is responsible for the schools’ management, maintenance and day-to-day running.

Mr Burgess said: “We have had concerns over the heating being too hot or too cool since we opened in September 2009.

“The company is trying its best to sort out the problems but I believe they will never do it unless they give immediate local control to the school.”

The BSF schools also include Sir John Thursby Community College, which is co-located with Ridgewood Community High School, Unity College, Hameldon Community College, Blessed Trinity RC Community College, Burnley Campus, Marsden Heights Community College and Pendle Vale College.

Under the scheme, they are set to be handed back to the council in 25 years.

The new coalition Government has created new powers to allow communities to set up their own ‘free schools’ which would be independent of local authority control.

But critics say the BSF scheme is restricting schools and the system needs changing.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “After a year these problems should have been ironed out. It’s ridiculous that they haven’t.

“The county council should bear down on these people and get it sorted by telling them to do it or they won’t pay the rent.

“These people were quite happy to draw the rent but are not happy to give the service afterwards.

“There needs to be an on-site manager who is able to resolve any problems that arise. It’s not rocket science.”

Helen Denton, Lancashire County Council's executive director for children and young people, said: "BSF schools are managed separately through a building management system, which is an integral part of the PFI scheme.

"All of the systems in operation in the schools are designed to keep energy costs to a minimum and to run as efficiently as possible.

"Some of the schools may have experienced difficulties with the building management system (BMS).

"We will continue to work closely with them to resolve those issues.

"However, the operation of the helpdesk and management of the BMS system are unlikely to change.

"What we should remember is that these new schools are state-of-the-art facilities.

"They have been designed to keep their carbon emissions to a minimum."