The Department for Children, Schools and Families has unveiled a revised timetable for its £45bn Building Schools for the Future programme which it said would see greater thought given to how funding could benefit wider communities.

It said it plans a consultation on the programme next year in which it will propose that schools be located on the same site as other facilities, including healthcare, in areas of sustainable development and in areas of major social regeneration.

Schools minister, Jim Knight, said the government wanted to 'accelerate entry into the programme' following a slow start for the project.

The BPF has praised new government proposals linking school building programme with wider regeneration schemes.

Ken Dytor, chairman of the BPF's regeneration and development committee, said: ‘This is a welcome move and shows clear recognition of the work the BPF has been doing to promote the benefits of allowing developers to use government funds for infrastructure projects as a catalyst for bigger regeneration schemes. Public-private funding models were detailed in last year's housing Green paper so this overhaul of the Building Schools For The Future programme could be a vital move in unlocking new money, new homes and new communities.’