Decision details

To approve an exchange of land between the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education and Wiltshire Council on terms to be agreed by the Head of Strategic Property Services.

As a result of the construction of a new school at Quakers Walk, Devizes, the existing Devizes St Peters School is due to close in 2012.  The Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education intends, with the agreement of the Council as joint landowner, to dispose of the whole site and to use the proceeds towards funding the new school.  There is currently a pre-school nursery ( Taylor Made Nursery) at the site who have a lease of land and buildings in Diocese ownership

To exchange land between the Council ( shown coloured red ) and the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education (shown coloured orange) on terms to be agreed by the Head of Strategic Property Services. 

To ensure that Taylor Made Nursery can continue to operate from the site after the school has closed and the remainder of the site has been sold.  

1. To include the Council’s land within the total site to be disposed of.
2. To do a land exchange with the Diocese, grant a new lease to the pre-school of its existing premises, and forgo the capital receipt for the sale of the land.
3. To retain the Council land and grant a lease of this land to the pre-school, subject to funding being identified to construct a new pre-school. 

Discussion has taken place with the DCE Schools, and Early Years Team in view of the presence of the nursery on site, but we have not consulted with other Council departments, due to the nature of the Council’s land in relation to the site as whole.