Decision details

Proposed decision

1)        Allocate £1.5m of the Children’s, Young People and Education capital budget to address the issues covered in the privileged legal advice considered.

2)        Delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure to enter into such agreements, on such terms as she approves, with any relevant parties, in order to support the exercise the Council’s step in rights and to complete the construction works.

3)        Delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under any of these contracts.

Reason for the decision

Chilmington Green Secondary School opened in September 2023 in temporary accommodation.  The Department for Education (DfE) is delivering the new school premises, which are due to be operational September 2025.  Issues have arisen which need to be resolved in order to ensure the new school building occupied. The legal responsibility for funding the resolution to the issues is a matter of contention and potential legal dispute.

The proposed decision supports the key priority “Levelling up Kent” within the ‘Framing Kent’s Future (2022-26)’.   It helps deliver our commitment to maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools and settings in Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all families.

The proposed decision supports “Securing Kent’s Future – budget recovery strategy”.  It contributes towards delivering the Service’s MTFP savings target, ensures value for money, and a sharp focusing of the available resources to delivering the Council’s statutory duties.

As the Deputy Leader (in the absence of the Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Skills), I agree to:

1)        Allocate £1.5m of the Children’s, Young People and Education capital budget to address the issues covered in the privileged legal advice considered.

2)        Delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure to enter into such agreements, on such terms as she approves, with any relevant parties, in order to support the exercise the Council’s step in rights and to complete the construction works.

3)        Delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under any of these contracts.