Issue details

Summary

This report will outline the current situation with regard to the acquisition of land for a secondary Free School in Strood to help meet rising demand and requests approval for the Council to underwrite a third party overage held against the preferred land.

Access to Information

The report together with any other documents being considered (unless they contain exempt information) will be available for inspection 5 clear days before the decision is taken by the Cabinet. Copies are available on the Council's website or requested from Democratic Services Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR or email democratic.services@medway.gov.uk If you wish to submit information to the Cabinet about the item please also contact Democratic Services.

It is noted that the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)(Meetings and Access to Information)(England) Regulations 2012 requires 28 clear days’ notice of the intention to make a key decision.

On this occasion it has not been practicable to provide this 28 clear days’ notice and therefore Section 10 (General Exception) of the above regulations have been complied with. It was not possible to include this report on the Forward Plan with 28 days’ notice because the issue has only recently arisen and requires resolution before the end of March 2019.

Notice of Intention to Conduct Business in Private

An exempt appendix will provide details of the value of the overage, based on current land values. This is because, in the view of the Proper Officer, consideration of the information in public would disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Should you wish to make any representation for the discussion of this item to be held in public, you should contact: Democratic Services, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR or email democratic.services@medway.gov.uk

It is noted that the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)(Meetings and Access to Information)(England) Regulations 2012 requires 28 clear days’ notice of a Cabinet meeting to be held in private. On this occasion it has not been practicable to provide this 28 clear days’ notice. The Chairman of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed, in accordance with the provisions of the 2012 Regulations, that this matter is both urgent and cannot be reasonably deferred until the next Cabinet meeting on 9 April 2019 to enable the Council to confirm its position on the matter ahead of the budget and forecast deadline for Department for Education (DfE) at the end of March 2019.

The Cabinet’s response to any representations will be published on 25 February 2019 within the Cabinet Agenda. A final decision on whether this item will be determined in private will be taken during the meeting.