Issue - meetings

This annual summary report provides an update on the progress made during the lifetime of the 2022-27 School Place Planning Strategy. It identifies areas of demand and makes recommendations to ensure that appropriate levels of good quality school places are available through to 2027.

Background:

This report provided an update on the progress made against the School Place Planning Strategy 2022 - 2027, highlighting areas of demand for school places and made recommendations to ensure that sufficient good quality school places would be available through to 2027. The report set out options to fund the proposals.

This annual review report and the recommendations in it were based upon the annual round of forecasting undertaken in April 2023, using the latest available data.

The report had previously been considered by the Cabinet on 26 September 2023, the decisions of which were set out at section 14 of the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Education, Councillor Coombs, supported by the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Councillor Price, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Decisions:

a)    The Council approved the addition to the Capital Programme of a project to provide additional dining capacity at Leigh Academy Rainham, as set out in paragraph 10.7 of the report.

b)    The Council noted the overspend on Wayfield Primary School, as set out in paragraph 18.9 of the report and approved the addition of £39,806 onto this project within the capital programme, to be funded from the Basic Need Grant.

c)    The Council noted the retention payment for Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, as set out in paragraph 18.10 of the report and approved the addition of £5,734.64 to the capital programme, to be funded from the Basic Need Grant.

d)    The Council noted the overspend on Maundene Primary School, as set out in paragraph 18.11 of the report and approved the addition of £14,377.49 spending onto this project within the capital programme, to be funded from available s106 funds.

e)    The Council noted the increasing costs at Maritime Academy due to building control and fire risk assessment works, as set out in paragraph 18.12 of the report and approved the addition of £140,000 onto this project within the capital programme, to be funded from available s106 receipts.

f)      Due to escalating construction costs and resultant insufficient funding being available to complete all SEND projects previously approved, the Council noted that the Cabinet had approved the withdrawal of the resourced provision at the Howard School [Decision No. 161/2023 refers] and agreed the virement of £1.2m of funding to the Rivermead expansion onto the former Stoke Primary School site, as set out in paragraph 12.2 of the report.

g)    The Council approved the removal of the remaining budget of £1,533,208.69, funded by prudential borrowing, from the SEND New Places Scheme and agreed that £1,533,208.69 of SEND grant for the Strood Academy SEND scheme be converted to prudential borrowing.

Background:

This report provided an update on the progress made against the School Place Planning Strategy 2022 - 2027, highlighting areas of demand for school places and made recommendations to ensure that sufficient good quality school places would be available through to 2027. The report set out options to fund the proposals.

This annual review report and the recommendations in it were based upon the annual round of forecasting undertaken in April 2023, using the latest available data.