Issue - meetings

To receive the report by the Corporate Director for Education and Young People’s Services to consider and endorse or make recommendations on the decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform on increasing the funding allocated from the Education and Young People’s Services Capital Budget to the rebuild and expansion of Ridge View School.

1)         Jared Nehra, Area Education Officer for West Kent, introduced the report on additional costs required to continue the special schools’ programme at Ridge View School. This would be to meet additional requirements that had emerged since the original design including the planning costs as well as the cost of enabling development for the re-provision of playing facilities for the Judd School. All of which would be required for the scheme to proceed.

2)         Miss Carey said the Special Schools’ Programme was enormously important and that it was critical that Kent County Council continued its commitment to such a worthwhile project.

3)         In response to a concern Mr Nehra reassured Members the proposed decision would not, at any point, deprive the Judd School of a playing area.

4)         The Education and Young People’s Cabinet Committee endorsed the Leader’s proposed decision to:

i)          Allocate an additional £2.1m from the Special Schools Review budget to rebuild and expand Ridge View School (Tonbridge);

ii)         Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Director of Governance and Law to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council;

iii)        Authorise the Director Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts.