Members considered schemes in schools to be funded through the ‘Basic Need’ grant in 2017/18.

The Lead Member explained that the annual report set out the proposed capital spend ahead of February budget setting so that officers had the opportunity to tender for projects in good time.  This enabled work in the summer holidays at the most competitive prices with least disruption to schools.  In the past this approach had enabled the council to successfully deliver the relocation of Oldfield Primary school, the expansion at Riverside primary and smaller projects such as the conversion of the residence building at Manor Green special school.  The report sought approval for £60,000 to start feasibility work on the higher priority schemes in the programme. The schemes set out in Appendix A had been prioritised to ensure that the Royal Borough met its statutory duties: namely the provision of sufficient school places and ensuring those spaces, where the council was responsible for the buildings, keeping the pupils safe, dry and warm so that they could  learn effectively.

It was noted that the first ten schemes related to the previously approved expansion projects to ensure sufficient school places across the borough subject to approval by Council.

The schemes from 12 onwards had been prioritised with safeguarding,  health and safety, water resistance and heating considerations in mind, based on the individual site maintenance assessments.  The proactive approach would, as far as possible, avoid unexpected school closures or emergency repair costs.  For example in recent years the council had planned the replacement of boilers for the Furze Platt schools:  the Junior school was completed last year and it was recommended the Infant school boiler replacement in the coming year to complete the work on that campus. Managing health and safety risks was important approval was requested to ensure that the highest priority fire-risk and asbestos-risk projects were dealt with.

Expansion projects were funded through a mixture of Basic Need Grant and council funding which included section 106 contributions, while maintenance projects were funded by Schools Condition Grant from the Department for Education.  The prioritised list in Appendix A totalled almost £1.2m and the council would not actually know the level of grant until the spring of 2017.  It was expected that the grant would be about £1m and therefore some schemes towards the end of the list may be postponed into later years when they would be considered again with a higher priority where appropriate. 

There were no Academy schools listed for maintenance work as that responsibility now sat with the Education Funding Agency and Academies had to bid to the Condition Improvement Fund.  The most recent round closed on the 9 December 2016 with decisions due in the Spring.

Councillor Beer highlighted that the ward listed for The Windsor Boy’s School was incorrect in the appendix. It was also noted that the line relating to school kitchen refurbishment related to a number of schools rather than just one.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Cabinet approves:

i.       The Children’s Services 2017-18 capital bids, including them in the overall 2017-18 capital programme, subject to any changes that may be required to the Condition list of schemes following the grant allocation announcement and final approval at Council.

ii.      The listed schemes being put out to tender.

iii.    Variations to the list of condition schemes based on DfE grant allocation and requests the final allocation and schemes are reported to Cabinet in February 2017. 

iv.    £60,000 for feasibility work on schemes.