Issue - meetings

The report updated Members on the capital schemes included within the Council’s Basic Need programme with a project value of over £1m. The report had been scrutinised by the Education, Children and Families Budget and Performance Monitoring Sub-Committee on 18^th July 2017. The Sub-Committee had requested a change in the description of the Farnborough Primary School project in appendix 1 to the report from “cancelled” to “deferred.” The Sub-Committee had also recommended that the Executive consider how schemes funded via section 106 monies could be better promoted (such as through signage at each site.)

RESOLVED that

(1)  The updated Basic Need Programme as set out in Appendix 4 to the report be agreed, subject to Full Council approval.

(2) The use of £2.890m of unallocated Section 106 Education monies be agreed as detailed within Appendix 3 to the report.

(3) An increase to the Basic Need capital scheme of £2,597k to reflect the SEND Provision capital grant allocation be agreed as detailed in paragraph 3.3 of the report.

(4) Approval be given to the fully costed appraisal for the new schemes at Beacon Academy (Orpington), Bishop Justus School, Castlecombe Primary School, St John’s CE Primary School and Tubbenden Primary School in addition to the projects outlined in the previous reports agreed by the Executive on 2 April 2014 and 20th May 2015 as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

(5) That the Director of Education be authorised to support schools to submit planning applications in association with these works.

(6) In accordance with the recommendations of the Education, Children and Families Budget and Performance Monitoring Sub-Committee, the description of the Farnborough Primary School project in Appendix 1 to the report be changed to “deferred” and notices be posted at each site where Section 106 monies are being used.

Report ED18015

The Sub-Committee considered a report providing an update on capital schemes within the Local Authority’s Basic Need Programme with a project value of over £1M. 

The Basic Need Programme was funded by the Basic Need Capital Grant which was provided to the Local Authority from the Department for Education to support the delivery of sufficient school places.  A total of £77M Basic Need Capital Grant had been allocated to Bromley schemes between 2011 and 2019, which funded the creation of 1,635 temporary and 2,550 permanent school places in both mainstream and specialist settings across the Borough.  The Local Authority had also received a capital allocation of £2,596,530 for Special Educational Needs which was based on projected population growth for children and young people aged 2-18 years between 2018/19 to 2020/21 and would partly be used to fund the expansion of the existing Special Educational Needs unit at Tubbenden Primary School, with the remaining funds considered as part of the High Needs Block review. 

In considering the Basic Need Programme, the Head of Strategic Place Planning advised Members that works were underway to expand and refurbish the former Burwood School site to meet the needs of Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, and that external works to the car park and play area would be undertaken during Summer 2017.

After a proposed scheme to expand Farnborough Primary School by one form of entry had failed to obtain planning permission due to concerns around the impact of the scheme on the openness of the green belt, the Head of Strategic Place Planning confirmed that consideration was being given to possible modifications within the school to accommodate two existing bulge classes.  In general discussion, Members noted that there continued to be demand for a further form of entry within Strategic Planning Area 5, and specifically at Farnborough Primary School where the 2017/18 Reception class would comprise 27 sibling pupils with only 3 places available to other pupils within the community.  The Sub-Committee requested that the proposed expansion of Farnborough Primary School be revisited at the next meeting of the School Places Working Group and that Appendix 1: B8: Farnborough Primary School – Description be amended to state.

“The permanent expansion of this school from 1 to 2 FE is deferred following the failure of the scheme to obtain planning permission.”

Phase 1 of the scheme to expand Bishop Justice CE Secondary School from 6 to 8 forms of entry had started, but the contractor had become insolvent and works had ceased. The Local Authority was working with the appointed administrator to recover funds and it was proposed that the remaining Phase 1 works be tendered with the remaining phases as a single package of works, with works expected to resume in 2018.

The Education, Children and Families Sub-Committee discussed the importance of publicising schemes funded through Section 106 monies, and requested that the Council’s Executive consider how schemes funded by the Local Authority via  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7