Over £33 million will be spent on the refurbishment and rebuilding of Derbyshire primary schools until 2012, under the Labour-controlled county council's Primary School Capital Programme.

But none of the 15 schools identified for investment were in our area.

Conservative councillor Andrew Lewer said Dales primary schools were being punished for good performance and the spending plan was unfair.

Cllr Lewer said: "It's because many of the schools in the area achieve good results without necessarily the best facilities and buildings.

"How can it be right for schools to be penalised for success?

"There may be smaller pots of cash at a later stage, but this is the big one and I'm disappointed," said Cllr Lewer.

Cllr Lewer emphasised that all but one of the schools earmarked for investment were in an areas held by Labour county council members, but cabinet member for schools Alan Charles said this was "purely coincidental".

Shadow cabinet member for schools, Cllr Martyn Ford, said the new plans would frustrate hard-working teachers.

But Cllr Charles said the plans targeted schools in most need of money.

"I'm not interested in areas – that means very little to me. The criteria we're working with will look at the schools with the lowest levels of attainment," he said.

"Most of the deprivation in Derbyshire exists on the sites of the former coal mines in the north-east. They're in the worst condition and we should prioritise these schools.

"Is Cllr Lewer saying that as a county council we should distribute money irrespective of the need?" he asked.

Cllr Charles confirmed £16.5 million will be spent in the next two years of the Primary School Capital Programme, with at least that amount available again for the following two years.

Other sources of funding for primary schools existed, Cllr Charles added.

The county council education department will receive residents' views on the spending plans until the consultation deadline of June 16.