Dudley’s bid for £80 million to rejuvenate the borough’s crumbling schools has been snubbed by the Government, it was revealed today.

Headteachers say “generations of children in Dudley will be disadvantaged” as a result of missing out on cash under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Education bosses said today the decision had left a “gaping hole” in the budget for a £290m masterplan to transform education in Dudley.

The BSF cash would have been used to bankroll a major programme of works to refurbish and rebuild the borough’s schools.

Graham Lloyd, headteacher at Holly Hall Maths and Computing College in Scotts Green Close, Dudley, said: “This is a massive disappointment. All Dudley headteachers were behind the bid. The fact it has been turned down is a disaster.

“Generations of children in Dudley will be disadvantaged, they won’t have the opportunity of using world class facilities BSF would have provided.

“We are going to have to carry on doing what we are doing in buildings which are past their sell-by date.”

Dudley Council’s proposals for investment in schools on a huge scale are outlined in the Vision 2025 document.

Cabinet member for children’s services Councillor Liz Walker said: “We are extremely disappointed.”