Cabinet received question from pupils at Holyport College. Councillor Bicknell assumed the Chair for this item.

 

James Erridge asked the following question:

 

The road outside the College is potentially dangerous for students. How can we persuade the Council to put up a Zebra Crossing and/or traffic lights outside the main entrance?

 

Councillor Bicknell responded that the volume of pupils attending Holyport College who walked to and from school was relatively low. This was reflected in the School Travel Plan and the operating arrangements which were in place and was based on all staff and pupils arriving by transport, hence mini buses were in place to provide safe access to and from school. The travel plan was monitored on an annual basis, including a survey of pupils and staff.  Any issues arising could be advised to the Royal Borough who were very willing to discuss these with the College.

 

In addition, the Royal Borough encouraged walking and had a programme of works, and education programmes, to create and encourage safe walking routes. There was no continuous walking route on either side of Ascot Road and it was not straightforward to build the additional lengths of footway which would be required. In addition, there was no street lighting in the area which would be required to create a fully safe route for pedestrians during the winter months and darker evenings.

 

A pedestrian crossing would be required in two locations (adjacent to the school and in the vicinity of Holyport Green) to ensure that residential areas were linked into the school. Whilst this could be delivered the urbanising impact of the crossing at all times combined with the low levels of use would require careful consideration prior to progressing. There was nothing to stop the school putting together a petition about the issue.

 

By way of a supplementary question, James Erridge asked how much it would cost?

 

Councillor Bicknell confirmed that the total cost would be in the region of £0.5m.

 

Kai Sankowski asked the following question:

 

How might the council improve street lighting in Holyport Village and in the vicinity of the College?

 

Councillor Bicknell responded that Holyport Green was a conservation area with limited street lighting. The current policy was to minimise urbanisation by not installing additional street lighting around Holyport Green or in the vicinity of the college. Street lighting was in place in residential areas and at road junctions for road safety purposes. The introduction of street lighting would require approval and engagement with the Parish Council and a shift from current practice and policy.

 

ChenziraGwenzi asked the following question:

 

Bus fares to Maidenhead from Holyport are almost £4 for a single. What could the Council do to reduce this and what can the Council do to provide more regular bus services to both Maidenhead & Windsor?

 

Councillor Bicknell responded that the Royal Borough did not directly operate local bus services but did work with closely with operators (for example: Courtney Buses and First Bus) to provide and promote bus services which served the community. Subsidy was available to develop new routes, or support existing routes which were not commercially viable. Support was targeted at gaps in the market or areas of potential demand to ensure that funding delivered a return on investment.

 

Indicative costs to operate one bus for a working day were approximately £120,000. Therefore, greater value for money could be achieved by developing, supporting and improving existing routes to meet demand. Regular meetings and dialogue were in place with bus operators to deliver improvements and meet the Royal Borough’s commitment to improve public transport.

 

One way of supporting services and encourage use was to offer discounted child fares, subsidised travel, reward schemes, discounted season tickets and electronic, contactless payment options which reduced cost. The Royal Borough was very happy to take this forward with bus operators. The annual review of the School Travel Plan may also identify needs or concerns which could be considered in discussions between Holyport College and the Royal Borough. 

 

Max Ticehurst asked the following question:

 

Traffic is often speeding outside the College. What is the Council doing to address this problem?

 

Councillor Bicknell responded that the Royal Borough had an excellent road safety record and invested annually in road safety measures and training and education programmes. In parallel with a majority of schools, there was a 20mph zone outside Holyport College which operated at school times and was visible by the presence of flashing lights / signs. In addition, the Royal Borough deployed speed indicator devices at various locations which were triggered by vehicles exceeding the speed limit and flashed a warning message or displayed the actual vehicle speed to encourage motorists to slow down.

 

These measures could be supplemented by speed enforcement delivered by Thames Valley Police or through community Speedwatch schemes where local groups were trained to operate mobile speed cameras, collect details of offending vehicles and forward to the police to contact the vehicle owner.  Speedwatch schemes and the deployment of Speed Indicator Devices offered effective and deliverable measures which offered an immediate visual deterrent and engaged with the local community.

 

SaamiyaUsmani asked the following question:

 

Holyport College is growing and currently lacks a school library and also needs more indoor sports facilities. What can the Council do to help facilitate this?

 

Councillor N. Airey responded that Holyport College was designed and built by the Education and Skills agency to provide education for 500 pupils.  When the Council, in its role as the Planning Authority, granted planning permission for the school, these matters were considered and the College proposition was considered by the EFSA to be acceptable in terms of curriculum delivery.  For the planning authority, if this position had changed any applications coming forward in a Green Belt location should be supported by evidence to justify the need for new facilities above and beyond what was originally considered by the College to meet their needs.

 

From an education perspective, Holyport College was an Academy and could make bids to the Condition Improvement Fund run by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.  According to the ESFA ;The core priority for CIF is to address significant condition need. CIF also supports a small proportion of expansion projects. These are for Ofsted-rated good or outstanding academies and sixth-form colleges that need to expand their existing facilities and/or floor space’.  The Council had no authority over CIF decisions of the EFSA but would support any application the college chose to make.

 

By way of  a supplementary question, Saamiya Usmani asked if the school undertook fundraising, would the council be prepared to match fund?

 

Councillor N Airey responded that later in the agenda was a report detailing the need for school spaces across the borough for the next 20 years.  The council did not currently undertake match funding. The council had to ensure that places were available in the right place to meet demand.  The council wished to support Good and Outstanding schools and would be happy to talk to all schools in the borough to ensure the right places and facilities were available.

 

Carys Ellis asked the following question:

 

The price of housing in Maidenhead is amongst the highest in the UK. What is the council doing to build affordable housing for young people? (either to rent or buy)

 

Councillor McWilliams responded that this was a serious issue in the UK. Many young people under 30 years old had no hope of being able to but their own home. More people in the country owned their home outright than had a mortgage, leading to a housing affordability crisis. The Chancellor had just announced a budget of £44bn including a reduction in stamp duty for first time buyers. Central government had to be the driving force because it was a nationwide problem. However there were things the council could do locally. The Borough Local Plan included a commitment to build 100% of the Objectively Assessed Need for housing, to meet demand and reduce prices. The BLP set a threshold of 30% affordable housing, which included a variety of products such as Affordable Rent, Shared Ownership, Help to Buy and social housing.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Carys Ellis asked how did developers wiggle out of their obligation to deliver affordable housing and what was the council doing to address this problem?

 

Councillor McWilliams responded that the situation was incredibly frustrating for the council. Developers would argue the costs of a development meant it would be unviable if affordable housing was included. The Chancellor was undertaking a review of land banking and if there was evidence this had occurred, the government would act via the HCA. The council would continue to work with local developers and be robust on its own policy position. Joint venture sites owned by the council in the town centre and the golf club would include 30% affordable housing.

 

TemiAnimashaun asked the following question:

 

As the College grows and we gain a Year 13 next year there will be pressure for sixth formers to be able to drive to College. What could be done to increase car parking space at college and to expand the land available to the College?

 

Councillor N. Airey responded that the council had a role as education and planning authority.  The original scheme for the school in this location, as proposed by the applicant, addressed the demand for parking and this was covered in a Transport Assessment.  Parking had been provided on site in accordance with the conditions imposed on the planning consent, which included a consideration for student parking.  The school was encouraged to factor in any changes into the School Travel Plan. As with many councils, space was a challenge. If additional land was required and available, the council's property team could assist with negotiations with the landowner.  However due to the location of the school within the Green Belt a case for very special circumstances would be required to justify this use so a real focus on the use of sustainable modes of travel was needed. Innovative options such as car- sharing should be considered. The borough could support the school in looking at how other schools dealt with the issue.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Temi Animashaun asked how much the land would cost to buy and would the government take into consideration that there were boarders at the school?

 

Councillor N. Airey responded that the land was privately owned and was likely to be expensive. The school may need to look at alternative models for quick wins. The government would need to see very special circumstances and education need was likely to take precedence over parking.

 

Councillor Bicknell commented that land in the centre of Windsor could cost £4m an acre.  

 

Hugo Walsh asked the following question:

 

Given the proposed development of the golf course what are the Council's plans to preserve Maidenhead's open green spaces and to protect local wildlife?

 

Councillor S Rayner responded that the council had a very important role as a landowner and as planning authority.  Any application for the golf course would be considered under the National Planning Policy Framework, which defined what constituted an open space and contained policy to protect that open space.  This would be the starting point for the planning authority in making decisions on any proposals which resulted in the loss of, or provision of, open space. The vision for the site included maintaining or enhancing over 7 hectares and the habitats used by protected or notable species. Open space was also important for the health and mental well-being of residents.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Hugo Walsh asked what problems could arise with the current wildlife affecting residents?

 

Councillor S. Rayner responded that the wildlife was likely to adapt to the situation during and after the development works took place.

 

Lucas Basford asked the following question:

Given that Holyport has been recognised as an outstanding school in its last Ofsted report, what plans are there to increase the number of school places at Holyport and at similar schools in the Royal Borough?

Councillor N. Airey responded that the question was timely as there was a report later on the agenda in relation to school places to support the BLP. The Royal Borough proposed that further work was now done to assess which schools in the borough could be expanded.  As these options were developed and brought forward for consideration in line with projected demand, the authority would continue to prioritise expansion projects at schools that were 'Good' or 'Outstanding,' are performing well, were oversubscribed, had space to expand and where those schemes offered good value for money.  The council was proposing adding a sixth criteria, looking at how inclusive a school was for children with additional needs, and more details about this would be brought to Cabinet in due course. The report later in the agenda also proposed a Memorandum of Understanding for each school proposing to expand.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Lucas Basford asked what number of pupils would the Lead Member like to add to Holyport?

 

Councillor N. Airey responded that the council would look at parental preference, what worked on a site, what the school could sustain, how expansion would affect existing pupils. It was keen to expand Good and Outstanding schools. Holyport College was very oversubscribed.

 

Councillor Bicknell commented that 86% of schools in the borough were Good or Outstanding. If only one school was expanded, some people would have a very long way to travel therefore it was better to take a wider approach.

 

Councillor Dudley returned to the Chair and thanked the pupils for their questions.