Agenda item

      Report of the Chief Executive

Cllr Laura Mayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children,  Education and Skills presented a report which detailed the investment to improve the condition of maintained schools and expansion of mainstream schools.

Cllr Mayes commented on the Council’s statutory duty to provide sufficient school places to meet the demand arising across Wiltshire; the Schools Capital Programme 2021–2026 approved by Cabinet in March 2021 and the Wiltshire School Places Strategy 2017-2022 in December 2017. The current programme of work is based on the basic need priorities for capital investment in the short, medium and longer term.

The report highlighted that the Council has responsibilities for the effective management and ongoing maintenance of the schools’ estate and receives annual capital funding allocations from the Department for Education to meet basic need and condition only, with day to day revenue maintenance being funded from school budgets.

Cabinet noted that Full Council in 2020 approved an additional £5m of funding for school maintenance works over a 5 year period, and an additional £100k per year to improve the accessibility of schools. In line with the Wiltshire School Places Strategy 2017-2022, the report provided an update on the current capital programme of work and seeks approval for a small number of additional capital schemes and annual condition related works. 

In the absence of the Chairman of the Children’s Select Committee, Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cllr Graham Wright confirmed that Cllr Hubbard had received a briefing on the report on 20 January 2022.

In response to comments from Cllr Martin Smith about educational establishments replacing heating systems with the installation of insulation and heat pumps in order to reduce their carbon footprint; Cllr Mayes and Cllr Clewer explained that whilst recognising the importance schools play in reducing carbon emissions through innovation and newer greener technologies, the Council only maintains 40% of the school estate and there would need to be a transition period to incorporate carbon reducing measures. The remaining 60% of schools would always be encouraged to seek appropriate grant funding to reduce their carbon footprint.

Resolved:

1. To note the progress on previously approved schemes at Appendix A

2. To consider and approve the new schemes, subject to planning
   approval and completed S106 agreements, requiring a total commitment of £4.17m as outlined at Appendix B.

3. To approve the Schools Planned Maintenance Programme totalling £3m for 2022/23 as outlined at Appendix C.
   
   

4. To authorise the Director of Education and Skills to invite and evaluate tenders for the projects described in this report, and, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, to award the contract for the project (subject to approval of any necessary statutory proposals) and to authorise, in consultation with the Head of Estates and Development, in accordance with the relevant scheme of delegation (under Part 3 Section D1 of Wiltshire Council’s constitution), the acquisition of all land (and the completion of any legal documentation) reasonably required in order to facilitate the Schools Capital Investment Programme.

Reason for Decision:

The Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places to meet the demand arising across Wiltshire, whether from demographic or population change, strategic housing development growth or military moves.

The approved Wiltshire School Places Strategy 2017- 2022 and its Implementation Plan identifies the priority basic need schemes requiring capital investment in the short, medium and longer term and these latest proposals for inclusion in the Schools Capital Programme will enable the priority works to be progressed. The Council also has Landlord responsibilities for the effective management and maintenance of the schools (for which the Council is responsible) estate and the approved programme will enable urgent and priority repairs and maintenance projects to proceed.