SCHOOLS across Newport could benefit from improvements worth £70 million if a funding bid is approved.

Newport City Council’s cabinet today gave the green light to plans to bid for a £35 million grant from the Welsh Government as part of the 21st Century Schools programme.

If the grant is approved the council will provide another £35 million of funding, taking the total to £70 million, which will be used to improve buildings at Basslag and Caerleon Comprehensive schools, as well as the new Welsh-language Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed.

The cash will also be used for improvements to Maesglas, Pillgwenlly, Maindee, Rogerstone and St Woolos primary schools, along with Malpas Church in Wales Infant School, as well as ensuring enough places are available.

Funds will also be used to support Glan Llyn and Llanwern primaries and the proposed new school on the Whiteheads development.

The bid is part of the second band of the Welsh Government programme, which will run between April 2019 and March 2024.

Presenting the proposal at today's meeting, cabinet member for education and skills Cllr Gail Giles said the plan was “both ambitious and affordable”.

But she said there was likely to be high demand for the funds.

“Band B is likely to be significantly over-subscribed by local authorities,” she said.

“The Welsh Government will need to prioritise.”

Cllr Giles added the bid was as high as the council could realistically afford given it will be required to match fund the grant.

“We can always want more money but that is what we could afford,” she said.

A report presented to cabinet members at the meeting said, assuming the bid is successful, £38.5 million will be used for secondary schools and £31.5 million for primaries.

View the full report at newport.gov.uk