Agenda item

The Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee is asked to consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education on the proposed decision to:

(i)         Revise the approval process for school organisation proposals as set out in           Paragraph 3.1

(ii)       Reallocate capital funds within the CYPE capital programme as set out in Paragraph 5.8:

a)      Wilmington Academy - allocate a further £2m (original decision number – 16/00033(e))

b)      Wilmington Grammar School for Girls - allocate a further £2.8m (original decision number 16/00033(d))

c)      St John’s Catholic Primary School, Gravesend - allocate a further £2.2m (original decision number 16/00055)

d)      Seal CE Primary School, Sevenoaks – allocate a further £1.72m (original decision number 15/00093(b))

e)      Trinity School, Sevenoaks - allocate a further £1m (original decision number 18/00006)

f)       Craylands Primary School, Dartford – allocate a further £0.55m (original decision number 15/00093(g))

g)      Harrietsham CEPS – allocate a further £0.6m (original decision number 17/00100)

h)      The Judd School – allocate £0.4m (original decision number 18/00019)

i)       Bennett Memorial Diocesan School - allocate a further £1m (original decision number 17/00104)

j)        St Gregory’s Catholic School - allocate a further £0.8m (original decision number 17/00106)

k)      St Peter’s CEPS, Tunbridge Wells – allocate a further £1.0m (original decision number 18/00020)

l)       Chilmington Green PS, Ashford – allocate a further £1.2m (original decision number 17/00056)

m)     River Mill, Dartford Northern Gateway – allocate £1.9m (new decision)

Mr Adams (Area Education Officer – South Kent), Mr Watts (Area Education Officer – North Kent) and Ms White (Area Education Officer – East Kent) were in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Gough, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, and Mr Adams introduced the report which set out the proposals for a redesigned approval process for school organisation proposals, having regard to Kent County Council’s governance arrangements and relevant Regulations and the current position of the Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) Basic Need Programme in respect of the current 2019-2022 Medium Term Financial Plan.

Mr Adams then responded to comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

a)    Mr Adams explained the reasoning behind the proposed decision to allocate a further £1.2m to Chilmington Green Primary School in Ashford and said that costs were regularly reviewed by Kent County Council’s Education and Property officers, together with GEN2. Mr Gough added that each individual project had an impact on costs and talked briefly about the impact that the ever-increasing population in Kent had had on schools.

b)    Mr Adams said that whilst schools had a list of desired developments to be made within the school, Kent County Council always prioritised statutory duties and what was required to provide the “basic needs” accommodation in efforts to ensured that schemes were delivered within allocated budgets and timescales.

c)    Mr Adams talked about the communications that had taken place between Kent County Council and developers and highlighted the significance of always providing clear and concise information to developers in relation to expected project costs.

d)    Mr Abbott talked briefly about private finance initiative schemes within schools and the costs associated with the schemes.

e)    Mr Abbott confirmed that Kent County Council’s Education officers had liaised with senior colleagues in the Highways department in relation to addressing school transport issues and travel plans.

f)     Ms White explained the reasoning behind the proposed decision to allocate a further £0.6m to Harrietsham Church of England Primary School in Maidstone.

2.         RESOLVED that the proposed decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to:

(i)       Revise the approval process for school organisation proposals as set out in Paragraph 3.1;

(ii)     Reallocate capital funds within the CYPE capital programme as set out in Paragraph 5.8;

(iii)   Wilmington Academy - allocate a further £2m (original decision number – 16/00033(e));

(iv)   Wilmington Grammar School for Girls - allocate a further £2.8m (original decision number 16/00033(d));

(v)      St John’s Catholic Primary School, Gravesend - allocate a further £2.2m (original decision number 16/00055);

(vi)    Seal CE Primary School, Sevenoaks – allocate a further £1.72m (original decision number 15/00093(b));

(vii)        Trinity School, Sevenoaks - allocate a further £1m (original decision number 18/00006);

(viii)       Craylands Primary School, Dartford – allocate a further £0.55m (original decision number 15/00093(g));

(ix)      Harrietsham CEPS – allocate a further £0.6m (original decision number          17/00100);

(x)        The Judd School – allocate £0.4m (original decision number 18/00019);

(xi) Bennett Memorial Diocesan School - allocate a further £1m (original decision number 17/00104);

(xii)        St Gregory’s Catholic School - allocate a further £0.8m (original decision         number 17/00106);

(xiii)       St Peter’s CEPS, Tunbridge Wells – allocate a further £1.0m (original decision number 18/00020);

(xiv)       Chilmington Green PS, Ashford – allocate a further £1.2m (original decision          number 17/00056); and

(xv)         River Mill, Dartford Northern Gateway – allocate £1.9m (new decision),

be endorsed.

(Ida Linfield abstained from voting and asked that the abstention be recorded in the minutes)