Children in two primary schools stand to benefit from better quality and a wider variety of food after a major upgrade to their kitchens. The current kitchens are too cramped and unsafe to provide enough healthy food, leading to complaints.
Chefs in Ashley Down Primary School and Sefton Park Primary School, both in Ashley Down, could also see their working conditions improved. Council bosses said there were serious safety risks in the kitchens, due to their tiny size.
The new kitchens will cost Bristol City Council £2.5 million, money which was saved from other capital projects running under budget. Councillors on the children and young people policy committee approved the funding on August 29.
James Anderson, head of major projects, said: “Both the schools have very small kitchens which are, frankly, Victorian in their nature. Their operation is a health and safety risk. Our estates team has flagged these schools as an urgent health and safety priority.”
The kitchens are “far too small” to produce meals onsite, and the lack of space restricts the variety and quality of food served to children, according to a committee report. Upgrading the kitchens will provide more space, improve the quality of the food and reduce staff accidents.
The council is only responsible for the kitchens, and wider buildings, of maintained schools, and not academies. This is one reason the money is being spent on schools in a more affluent part of Bristol. Another factor is requirements to feed children aged five to seven.
Green Councillor Christine Townsend, chair of the children’s committee, said: “The government has brought in universal free school meals for key stage one children. That basically means that more food is needed to be prepared and served, and that has had an impact on every school.”
By Alex Seabrook, LDRS