Issue - meetings

Report FSD14061

On 16^th July 2014, the Council’s Executive received the 1^st quarterly capital monitoring report for 2014/15 and agreed a revised Capital Programme for the four year period 2014/15 to 2017/18.  The 2013/14 Capital Outturn was reported to the Council’s Executive on 10^th June 2014.  The final capital outturn for Education Portfolio schemes was £5,981k compared to a revised budget of £21,542k, approved the Council’s Executive in February 2014.  After allowing for minor adjustments, a total of £793k was re-phased into 2014/15.  The Sub-Committee considered a report outlining the changes agreed by the Executive in respect of the Capital Programme for the Education Portfolio.

In response to a query from a Member regarding funding for school expansion, the Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance confirmed that capital works in schools across the Borough were delivered through the Basic Need Programme, which was fully funded by the Department for Education’s Basic Need Capital Grant and totalled approximately £62m for 2014/15. In addition to new classrooms, the Basic Need Programme could be used to fund a range of improvements to schools where appropriate, including the refurbishment of dining facilities. 

Councillor Nicholas Bennett JP requested that a full update on the current position of education provision across the Borough be provided to the Education Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 30^th September 2014.  This should include information on bulge classes and expansions, free school provision, the Bromley Trust Alternative Provision Academy and the demand for pupil places at schools across the Borough.

The Portfolio Holder for Education advised Members that the hydrotherapy pool at the Phoenix Children’s Resource Centre would require a major refit or to be replaced over the next few years.  There was a significant cost implication to replacing the existing hydrotherapy pool, and the Portfolio Holder highlighted that there was a need to ensure that any queries over the lease and the leaseholder’s future plans for the Phoenix Children’s Resource Centre site were resolved before any substantial investment was agreed.  Members emphasised the value of the excellent provision at the Phoenix Children’s Resource Centre, and underlined the importance of ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities across the Borough continued to be able to access a high quality hydrotherapy provision.  The Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance would provide further details on the lease of the Phoenix Children’s Resource Centre to Members of the Sub-Committee following the meeting.

The Portfolio Holder for Education noted the £387k Government grant to support the introduction of free school meals for all pupils at Key Stage 1 for the 2014/15 academic year, and requested that an update be provided to the next meeting of the Education Budget Sub-Committee on how this requirement was being delivered to schools across the Borough.

RESOLVED that the revised Capital Programme agreed by the Executive on 16^th July 2014 be recommended to the Portfolio Holder for Education for approval.