Tameside Council has confirmed it will be submitting a formal bid to the government for funding to rebuild Russell Scott Primary School in Denton. 

The Clare Street school has been besieged by problems since a £2.7 million rebuild was carried out by collapsed construction firm Carillion in 2015 and the story has made national headlines. 

A Tameside Council spokesperson said: “The Council is submitting a detailed bid to the Department for Education School Rebuilding Programme for the rebuilding of Russell Scott Primary School. The Council continues to work closely with the school and will do all it can to support the case for a rebuild." 

Denton MP Andrew Gwynne, who once again raised the school's plight in the House of Commons this week, says he's backing the bid. 

📺WATCH: It’s Education Questions and I’ve again raised the plight of @RScottPrimary. The good news is Tameside Council is submitting a formal bid for funding to Government. I’m backing the bid and will lobby hard for a positive outcome.👨🏻‍🎓 pic.twitter.com/ov21LsGNMx

— Andrew Gwynne MP (@GwynneMP) March 14, 2022

The Labour MP commented: "The situation at Russell Scott is appalling. The brilliant staff and students are being made to pay the price for Carrilion's botched refurbishment, and we urgently need the government to step in and help sort this problem out. 

"In 21st Century Britain, it is incomprehensible to me that children can be being forced to learn in conditions like this. This government loves to talk the talk about 'Levelling-up', well here is a real opportunity to do so. 

"I am pleased to be backing Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council's bid for this funding, and will do everything in my power to ensure that the government recognises the important of granting it."

The sorry saga at Russell Scott has been rumbling on for years. 

Widespread flooding at the school back in 2016

Back in May 2016, headteacher Steve Marsland and school governors even took the extraordinary decision to close the school amid ‘serious safety concerns’ in the building.

Widely reported problems have included sewage back flow and a once serviceable playing field which was deemed unfit for purpose, ‘filled with rubble and merely topped with turf, rain resulting in widespread flooding with the playing area likened to ‘The Somme’.

Construction company Carillion went bust in January 2018.

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