EDUCATION chiefs say they have clinched a money-saving deal for the supply of school furniture.
Instead of going through one firm, Durham County Council has signed a three-year, £3m contract with several suppliers, many of them local, who specialise in particular items.
The council urges schools to buy furniture through County Hall to take advantage of the savings. It says the typical cost of supplying furniture for a classroom is £500, or a third less than if a school makes its own deal.
Councillor Neil Foster, cabinet member for education, said: "That's just one classroom in one school and we have 306 schools."
He said 1,500 heavy duty tables were supplied to schools last year. "If that was to be repeated now, through our new contract, it would mean a saving of almost £34,000 a year on new tables alone, compared with prices offered by the big suppliers."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article