Representatives from the city council have told the Education Minister that to improve standards in education the council needs to improve school facilities.

Leicester moved up only one place in the latest GCSE league tables and the council have pointed to this as a symptom of under-investment.

They said long running problems with teacher's pay in the rest of the county did not mean there was no money for buildings.

Firm proposals

Michael Johnson, the cabinet link member for education, felt this sort of investment was long overdue.

He said: "A lot of our schools are very dilapidated, it's a long while since any money was invested in Leicester schools.

"Many classrooms are not capable of being used to their best advantage and we would hope to replace a lot of those and improve the environment for learning."

Officials said the meetings had gone well and they would now be drawing up firmer proposals as to how the money, if awarded, would be spent.