The Sunday Times yesterday reported that the BSF programme is missing a big opportunity to promote sustainable building methods.

A report from the education and skills select committee, headed by Labour MP Barry Sheerman, will slam the programme for missing a big opportunity to promote sustainable building methods.

About £150m has been set aside to improve environmental standards on the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme, but MPs believe this is a drop in the ocean in the context of the £45 billion BSF programme.

The Sustainable Development Commission told the MPs that it would add 15% to 20% to the cost of building schools to make them carbon neutral and more energy efficient. Schools account for about 15% of the public sector’s carbon footprint in the UK.

One committee source said: “There is no doubt the green stuff has just been tacked on as an afterthought in this programme � which is amazing given the government preaching about its green agenda.”

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It would be interesting to hear comments from BSF programmes in the area….