MORE than half a billion pounds is to be pumped into creating new free schools, including grammars, and refurbishing existing school buildings, the Government has said.

Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget will include £320 million to help fund up to 140 new schools, creating more than 70,000 new places.

The investment is intended to build on the Government’s commitment to open 500 new free schools by 2020, he will announce today.

The Bolton News reported last month how St James’ CE High School, in Farnworth, has put forward plans to open a new 900-place Church of England free school to meet growing demand for places.

St Catherine’s CE Primary School in Horwich is also bidding to open a free school to cater for families moving into the new Horwich Loco Works development in Rivington Chase.

Last autumn, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to create a place at a good school for every child, in part through allowing selective schools to expand and new ones to open.

The controversial announcement attracted widespread criticism, with opponents arguing that expansion will lead to segregation and a two-tier education system.

It is understood that the Government has not set a target on the number of grammar schools it wants to open with this new funding, but is open to these selective institutions submitting proposals.

There are currently 431 open free schools – a key plan of Conservative education reform – and a further 243 in the process of opening.

The Budget will also include a further £216 million to rebuild and refurbish existing schools in England.

This money is on top of existing plans to spend more than £10 billion on school buildings over the course of this Parliament.

And the current entitlement for children who access free home-to-school travel will be expanded to cover selective schools.

Mrs May said: “Over the last six years we have overseen a revolution in our schools system and we have raised standards and opportunity, but there is much more to do.

“As part of our commitment to creating a school system that works for everyone, today we are confirming new investment to give parents a greater choice of a good school place for their child, and we will set out the next stage of our ambitions in the coming months.”

Mr Hammond has signalled that he will prioritise building up a Brexit safety net fund ahead of launching a spending spree in today’s Budget.

Facing opposition calls to use an unexpected rise in tax receipts to pump more money into services and infrastructure, Mr Hammond made it clear he wanted to ensure the country had enough resources in reserve to cope with any Brexit turbulence over the next two years.

Amid reports that he was planning to raise some taxes in the Budget rather than loosen public purse strings, the Chancellor stressed the need for caution as the UK prepared to trigger two years of testing Brexit negotiations with the EU by invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

His comments came as he faced mounting pressure to deal with the situation in social care for the elderly, and soothe the Tory backlash against changes to business rates.

n To follow live coverage and reaction to the Budget this lunchtime, visit theboltonnews.co.uk