Issue - meetings

To receive the school organisation report on priority projects in Cheshire East.

The committee received the report which provided an overview of the school capital programme for both current and projected schemes and those which had been completed over the recent five-year period.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Children and Families Committee:

1.    Receive the strategic overview of capital planned programmes, as outlined in appendix 1, and to note the progression of these schemes over time to meet our statutory duties of sufficiency of school places.

2.    Note that the size and complexity of the school estate necessitates regular and timely decision making, and that all such decisions will continue to be captured and reported to the Committee. Noting also that the constitution establishes the necessary authority for such decisions, and that this may require the Committee to note decisions made under delegated powers or approve delegate decisions or note decisions that may require Council approval.

3.    Note the required budgetary changes in appendix 3 and to approve a further capital virement of £1.13M from the uncommitted grant funding to the Springfield School, Crewe campus capital scheme thereby increasing the scheme budget to £7.13M.

4.    Note the information in appendix 4 which shows the revised funding allocation for the new primary school at Kingsley Fields, Nantwich capital scheme which has increased to £7.78m.

5.    Approve the virement of £500,000 from the uncommitted grant funding which supports the two new SEN Free Schools in managing potential site abnormality costs (total £1.0 Million).

6.    Note Council’s approval, as part of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) of the School Condition Funding grant of £2.868m, noting also that the Executive Director of Childrens Services will regularly report on decisions taken or required on the spending of this and other schools’ capital projects as the programme of works is finalised.