Education bosses are hoping they will be able to help give the county’s construction industry an unexpected £9m shot in the arm.

Tonight the Government’s plan to give Oxfordshire County Council an advance on its capital investment allowance in the 2009-10 financial year was welcomed by Roy Leach, Oxfordshire’s officer for school organisation and planning.

The Government believes it will help firms hit by the recession by allowing projects to be tackled sooner.

The council-wide allocation, part of £919m across England brought forward by 12 months, will be spent on new school roofs, extensions, security or sports facilities.

The Government has also allowed the council to bring forward £4.63m it is planning to spend on larger building projects, making a total of £19.9m spending this year.

Meanwhile, additional direct payments to schools for more minor refurbishments and information technology will also be brought forward.

Mr Leach said: “We’re pleased about this news.

“This is not new money. It is money that had been allocated already for 2010/11.

“However, by bringing it forward a year it helps create work earlier for local businesses at this troubled economic time.”

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “This is a great chance for further local school improvements.

“It’s vital that we support the economy at this difficult time, so I’m delighted that every school in our area will benefit.

“I hope local schools will be able get on and spend the money — both improving facilities for pupils and supporting small businesses and jobs in our area too.

“This leaves open the possibility that funding will also be brought forward next year, but I’m sure teachers, parents and construction workers would rather have the money available now.”

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said that bringing forward part of the funding by a year would give immediate support to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses fitting out new facilities.

He said: “We have been encouraging all local authorities to bring forward spending to provide direct help for small businesses by awarding contracts to builders, labourers and electricians.

“This is a very powerful way of supporting the economy and accelerating our schools capital improvement in every part of the country.

“We are doing so in a way that will help small and medium sized businesses in the local area.”

Mr Balls added: “We’ve transformed the quality of school facilities — with 1,100 new or rebuilt schools in the last decade, 27,000 new classrooms and fantastic new facilities springing up across the country.”