LANCASHIRE’S taxpayers have been left with a bill for almost £900,000 following the decision to scrap Britain’s school rebuilding programme.

It has been revealed bosses had already spent £893,000 on the Building Schools for the Future programme by the time Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove told Parliament he was pulling the plug in July.

He claimed the projects were beset by delays and mounting administration costs, making them an inefficient use of public money.

Schools in Accrington, Barnoldswick, Colne, Haslingden, Rishton and Oswaldtwistle saw their plans dashed by the announcement.

Yesterday the county council’s schools chief Suzie Charles revealed the cost to the cash-strapped authority.

Responding to a question from Great Harwood Labour councillor Ciaran Wells, she told councillors: “£893,000 was spent on architects’ fees, feasibility studies and expressions of interest.”

But she claimed Partnership for Schools quango had wasted far more money with consultants in some parts of the country receiving millions of pounds.

Coun Wells said the Whitehall officials had been ‘clear and unequivocal’ that Lancashire County Council would receive enough cash to carry out the refurbishments before the General Election.

But Coun Charles said: “This was before they found out about the nation’s finances.”

And Labour group leader Jennifer Mein added: “All of the projects in Lancashire were delivered on time and within budget.

“What’s going to happen to children in the east of the county, one of our poorest areas, who now have to go without?”