Agenda item

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 Section 106 monies could be better promoted (such as through signage at the site of works).  Information on the Section 106 funds held for education purposes including deadline dates would be provided to Members of the Sub-Committee following the meeting. 

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Agree the updated Basic Need Programme as set out in Appendix 4 of Report ED18015, subject to Full Council approval;

2)  Agree the use of £2.89M of unallocated Section 106 Education monies as detailed within Appendix 3 of Report ED18015;

3)  Agree an increase to the Basic Need capital scheme of £2,597k to reflect the SEND Provision capital grant allocation as detailed in paragraph 3.3 of Report ED18015;

4)  Approve the fully costed appraisal for the new schemes at Beacon Academy (Orpington), Bishop Justus CE Secondary School, Castlecombe Primary School, St John’s CE Primary School and Tubbenden Primary School in addition to the projects outlined in the previous report agreed by the Council’s Executive on 2^nd April 2014 and 20^th May 2015;

5)  Authorise the Director: Education to support schools to submit planning applications in association with these works; and,

6)  Consider how schemes funded by the Local Authority via Section 106 monies could be better promoted.