Issue - meetings

In a Cabinet report on the revised School Place Planning Strategy 2014-2018 approved in October 2014, officers committed to report back to Cabinet with fully detailed and costed proposals on three projects to be added to the Phase 3 Permanent Primary School Programme to enable full Cabinet approval to proceed.  This report primarily addresses that requirement and provides a full update on the financial profile of the overall schools capital portfolio.  Approval is also sought to enable the commencement of works contract procurement on additional Phase 3 projects as appropriate.

(i)         that approval be given to the proposal to rebuild and expand Islamia Primary School (subject to necessary approvals) noting the potential for increased capital costs for the project and consultation timescales described in paragraphs 3.3 - 3.6 and authority to approve the fully costed and detailed proposals be delegated to the Strategic Director Regeneration and Growth in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing. A detailed report on proposals for Winkworth Hall will be provided in September 2015;

(ii)        that approve be given to the proposal to expand Byron Court Primary School as described in the report at paragraphs 3.7 - 3.9;

(iii)       that approval be given to the proposal to expand Oakington Manor Primary School on the terms described in paragraph 3.10 of the report and authority to approve the fully costed and detailed proposals be delegated to the Strategic Director Regeneration and Growth in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing;

(iv)       that approval be given the proposal to expand Leopold Primary School to become a 4FE split site primary school using the Gwenneth Rickus Building as described in paragraph 3.11-3.14 of the report and authority to approve the fully costed and detailed proposals be delegated to the Strategic Director Regeneration and Growth in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing;

(v)        that approval be given to the invitation to tender for three works contracts for the schools detailed in (ii) and (v) above on the basis of the pre-tender considerations set out in paragraph 3.16 of the report;

(vi)       that officers evaluate the tenders referred to (v) above on the basis of the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 3.16 of the report;

(vii)      that approval be given to the updated Schools Capital Portfolio financial profile as set out in paragraph 3.17-3.22, section 4 and Appendix 1, including the revised project/programme allocations;

(viii)     that approval be given to the criteria for developing new school expansion projects described in paragraph 3.23-3.25 and Appendix 5.

The Cabinet noted that in a report on the revised School Place Planning Strategy 2014-2018 approved in October 2014, officers had committed to report back with fully detailed and costed proposals on three projects to be added to the Phase 3 Permanent Primary School Programme to enable full Cabinet approval to proceed.  The report from the Strategic Director, Regeneration and Growth primarily addressed that requirement and provided a full update on the financial profile of the overall schools capital portfolio.  Approval was also sought to enable the commencement of works contract procurement on additional Phase 3 projects as appropriate.  Councillor McLennan (Lead Member, Housing and Regeneration) drew members’ attention to the procurement process and the costs of permanent expansion.

In considering the report, members welcomed the proposals in the light of the expanding cohort and shortage of school places. The Chief Finance Officer drew attention to the uncertainty over funding for capital projects and it was noted that plans for expansion did not include secondary schools due to the number of Free Schools opening in the borough. Councillor McLennan advised that the Community Asset Strategy was under consideration and would include schools. Councillor Shafique Choudhary expressed concern at the over concentration of schools opening in the Wembley area in the vicinity of the Civic Centre.

The Cabinet also had before them an appendix to the report which was not for publication as it contained the following category of exempt information as specified in Schedule 12 of the Local Government (Access to Information Act) 1972: 

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED:

(i)         that approval be given to the proposal to rebuild and expand Islamia Primary School (subject to necessary approvals) noting the potential for increased capital costs for the project and consultation timescales described in paragraphs 3.3 - 3.6 of the joint report from the Strategic Directors, Regeneration and Growth and Children and Young People and authority to approve the fully costed and detailed proposals be delegated to the Strategic Director Regeneration and Growth in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing. A detailed report on proposals for Winkworth Hall would be provided in September 2015;

(ii)        that approval be given to the proposal to expand Byron Court Primary School as described in the report at paragraphs 3.7 - 3.9;

(iii)       that approval be given to the proposal to expand Oakington Manor Primary School on the terms described in paragraph 3.10 of the report and authority to approve the fully costed and detailed proposals be delegated to the Strategic Director Regeneration and Growth in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing;

(iv)       that approval be given the proposal to expand Leopold Primary School to become a 4FE split site primary school using the Gwenneth Rickus Building as described in paragraph 3.11-3.14 of the report and authority to approve the fully costed and detailed proposals  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9