Issue - meetings

Demand for primary school places is forecast to exceed the supply of places again in 2011. As is the case across most London Authorities, Brent Council is experiencing a shortfall of primary school places, with severe shortage in the reception cohort. Eight temporary school expansion proposals are being recommended in this report, which are deemed suitable to cope with the shortfall for September 2011.  On 12 April 2010 the Executive approved the rebuilding of the Hay Lane and Grove Park School buildings as one school (now referred to as The Village School) incorporating the existing recently completed 16+ Centre, a new Short Break Centre on site and the provision of the necessary temporary accommodation during the construction period on the site of adjacent Kingsbury High School. A full report on this project is to go to Executive on 23^rd May 2011. In order to maintain the programme the contract for constructing the temporary accommodation and legacy works for the Village School within the grounds of Kingsbury High School needs to be awarded prior to the Executive Meeting on 23 May 2011.

(i)         that approval be given to the allocation of £1.5m from the Council’s Main Capital Programme for providing additional primary school places across Brent schools from September 2011, as set out in the table under paragraph 3.2.13 of the report from the Directors of Regeneration and Major Projects and Children and Families;

(ii)        that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects to appoint one or more works contractors using existing construction frameworks, for the recommended temporary school expansion schemes, in the event that any single works contract exceeds £1m in value;

(iii)       that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects to award the works contract for constructing temporary accommodation for the Village School, Decant and Legacy Scheme.

The Lead Members for Children and Families and Regeneration and Economic Development introduced a report which proposed eight temporary primary school expansions and the award of the contract for constructing the temporary accommodation and legacy works for the Village School within the grounds of Kingsbury High School in advance of the meeting of the Executive in May 2011 when a full report on that project would be considered.  Councillor Arnold reminded that the proposals were designed to address the shortage of school places in the early years of primary schools. She drew attention to the list of schools that were considered and those selected for bulge classes. Councillor Crane referred to the required reallocation of the capital programme to provide the additional primary school places from September 2011.

RESOLVED:-

(i)         that approval be given to the allocation of £1.5m from the Council’s Main Capital Programme for providing additional primary school places across Brent schools from September 2011, as set out in the table under paragraph 3.2.13 of the report from the Directors of Regeneration and Major Projects and Children and Families;

(ii)        that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects to appoint one or more works contractors using existing construction frameworks, for the recommended temporary school expansion schemes, in the event that any single works contract exceeds £1m in value;

(iii)       that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects to award the works contract for constructing temporary accommodation for the Village School, Decant and Legacy Scheme.