Agenda item

To consider proposals to expand Offley Primary School from 315 to 420 pupil places for September 2015.

Consideration was given to the proposal to expand Offley Primary School, Sandbach.

The proposal for expansion had been made in response to a shortfall in the number of Primary School places in the Sandbach area due to population changes.  Details were included in the full proposal attached as an appendix to a report prepared by the Director of Children’s Services.

A report detailing the outcome of the formal consultation undertaken between 10 December 2013 and 21 January 2014 was presented to the Cabinet Member on 31 March 2014, whereupon permission was given to issue a statutory public notice for the expansion of Mobberley CE Primary School from 315 places to 420 places.

Following publication of the public notice a statutory 4 week representation period commenced on 17 April 2014 and concluded on 15 May 2014.

One response from a local resident had been received during the presentation period, details of which were given in the report.

On behalf of the Proposer, Barbara Dale, the Admissions and Appeals Manager attended the meeting and presented the proposal along with Phil Yeomans and Sharon McKeown, Capital Development Officers who were also in attendance.

In accordance with the Sub Committee’s procedures Members then considered the matter in private, in particular they considered:

• the statutory school organisation process followed by the Proposer to date and were satisfied that the documentation demonstrated that the procedures and documentation complied with both the law and the guidance;
• whether the need for creating additional primary school places had been proven and, given the increasing numbers of children being born in the area and the planned housing developments in the Macclesfield area, Members concluded that the evidence did show that there was a shortage of Primary school places;
• the strong presumption by the Government that proposals to expand successful and popular schools such as Offley Primary School should be approved;
• the Sub Committee also noted that Cabinet had already approved sufficient funding to deliver this proposal;
• the effect that this proposal was likely to have on transport and traffic problems in the area.  They discussed how the school and the Proposer could work more effectively to manage the difficulties generated by additional traffic, but decided that these concerns were not sufficient to justify refusing the proposal.  These were problems that would be fully explored as part of the planning permission process.

The meeting then reconvened in public and the Chairman announced the decision.

RESOLVED

That the expansion of, Offley Primary School, Sandbach from 315 pupil places to 420 pupil places with a proposed implementation date of September 2015 be approved.