Issue - meetings
Vicar's Green Primary School Expansion Funding Agreement
Meeting: 14/01/2013 - Executive (Item 9)
This report requests Executive approval to Brent Council providing funding to the London Borough of Ealing for the expansion of Vicar’s Green Primary school by 1 form of entry. 15 out of the 30 places in the new form of entry are expected to be taken up by Brent children. Accordingly, a consultation will commence in January 2013 to expand the catchment area for admissions to include Brent residential areas.
Decision:
(i) that approval be given to the funding by Brent Council of £2m, together with a contingency of £0.5m, towards London Borough of Ealing’s school expansion project at Vicar’s Green Primary School;
(ii) that the comments from the Director of Legal and Procurement in Section 5 relating to the involvement with the neighbouring borough of Ealing be noted and authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects in consultation with the Lead Member for Regeneration and Major Projects to approve the funding agreement with Ealing Council on finalisation of the terms for the expansion of Vicar’s Green Primary School from September 2014;
(iii) that all Brent Council funding be subject to a legal agreement between the Council and Ealing Council setting out that:
(a) The Council funding contributions can only be spent on legitimate education facilities, as defined in government guidance, and not on ancillary facilities that form part of the project;
(b) Full and proper governance arrangements are established for the project to ensure it is delivered to time and budget, and providing for a senior Brent Council officer representation on the project board.
(iv) that approval be given to the allocation of £2m from the main capital programme in line with the approved August 2012 Executive Report to fund fifty per cent of the cost of the school expansion project in partnership with Ealing Council;
(v) that the contingency of £0.5m be maintained to cover unforeseen project costs since the design stage has not commenced and cost are an estimate at this stage.
Minutes:
The report from the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects sought approval to Brent Council providing funding to the London Borough of Ealing for the expansion of Vicar’s Green Primary school by one form of entry. 15 out of the 30 places in the new form of entry were expected to be taken up by Brent children. Councillor Crane (Lead Member, Regeneration and Major Projects) advised that the expansion, which formed part of School Expansion Programme 2012-16 report, was approved by the Executive in August 2012. The total project cost for the expansion was estimated at £4m including consultant fee of which Brent Council would contribute an equal proportion in partnership with Ealing Council. Consultation would commence in January 2013 to expand the catchment area for admissions to include Brent residential areas. Councillor Arnold (Lead Member, Children and Families) drew members’ attention to the legal implications.
RESOLVED:
(i) that approval be given to the funding by Brent Council of £2m, together with a contingency of £0.5m, towards London Borough of Ealing’s school expansion project at Vicar’s Green Primary School;
(ii) that the comments from the Director of Legal and Procurement in Section 5 relating to the involvement with the neighbouring borough of Ealing be noted and authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects in consultation with the Lead Member for Regeneration and Major Projects to approve the funding agreement with Ealing Council on finalisation of the terms for the expansion of Vicar’s Green Primary School from September 2014;
(iii) that all Brent Council funding be subject to a legal agreement between the Council and Ealing Council setting out that:
(a) The Council funding contributions can only be spent on legitimate education facilities, as defined in government guidance, and not on ancillary facilities that form part of the project;
(b) Full and proper governance arrangements are established for the project to ensure it is delivered to time and budget, and providing for a senior Brent Council officer representation on the project board.
(iv) that approval be given to the allocation of £2m from the main capital programme in line with the approved August 2012 Executive Report to fund fifty per cent of the cost of the school expansion project in partnership with Ealing Council;
(v) that the contingency of £0.5m be maintained to cover unforeseen project costs since the design stage has not commenced and cost are an estimate at this stage.