Billericay MP John Baron has called on the Government to ensure two aging secondary schools get much-needed cash to improve and expand, despite the money promised to them being pulled.

Renovation plans for Billericay School and Mayflower High, both in Billericay, were shelved earlier this summer when the Government announced it was axing the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the scheme, which had been introduced by the previous government, was bureaucratic, inefficient and would be too expensive with the country facing crippling debts The £55billion programme would have seen every secondary school in England revamped.

Both Billericay and Mayflower have already begun the application process, investing time and money in drawing up plans.

As both schools were promised the money in an earlier phase of the programme, the Government has hinted they could still receive some funding.

Mr Baron raised the issue in the House of Commons during education questions with Mr Gove.

Mr Baron said: “The Secretary of State is absolutely right to order a review of his department’s capital spending.

“When he does decide how to allocate capital, will he look favourably on the schools that reached the very final stages of the application process and suffer greatly from dilapidation, such as Mayflower High School and the Billericay School in my constituency?”

Mr Gove confirmed dilapidation would be one of the factors the Government would consider when allocating spending, along with demand for pupil places.

Mr Baron added “I am also pressing the minister to meet with both schools.”