Public Speaking Time/Open Session
In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.
Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.
Minutes:
Stephen Price, Vice-Chair of the Governing Body for Offley Primary School, referred to the Governing Body’s decision to object to the proposal to expand Wheelock Primary. He commented that a more complete Equality Impact Assessment would be welcome; that the Portfolio Holder should seek confirmation that the minutes of a meeting with Heads on 9th November constituted an accurate record; that the Wheelock proposals had been worked on for some time but the opportunity had not been taken in shaping them to take account of the views of Heads; that the proposal to create a further 1.5FE school ran contrary to the aspiration of the recently-consulted School Organisational Framework; that Offley questioned the necessity to spend £1.8m on a proposal that failed to address the identified need for Sandbach as a whole; that there was an opportunity to consider afresh how best to retain flexibility of provision and use existing infrastructure to best effect; that this was not a time to embark on a major scheme, given the Council Leader’s warning about the ability to meet all elements of the education budget. The Portfolio Holder was asked to reflect on whether it would be a safe and secure decision to publish statutory notices at this time for the Wheelock proposal.
[A full transcript of Mr Price’s statement was subsequently forwarded to the Council.]
Diane Morrison, Governor at Sandbach Primary School, questioned the accuracy of some figures in the report and suggested that they be examined further.
Edwin Leigh, Chair of Governors, Elworth CE also spoke on the Wheelock proposal.