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New primary school at North East Quadrant in Tidworth, including the acquisition of additional land to enable future expansion

Meeting: 22/01/2013 - Cabinet Capital Assets Committee (Item 63)

63 Additional Land Required for School Provision in Tidworth

To consider the attached report of the Corporate Director.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Lionel Grundy, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, introduced the report which invited the Committee to consider the procurement of a primary school at North East Quadrant in Tidworth, including an opportunity to acquire additional land adjacent to the new school to facilitate future expansion.

 

It was noted that negotiation with Persimmon Homes was ongoing regarding a price for the acquisition of the land adjacent to the school site.

 

The Committee noted that population projections were set to rise for Tidworth, with the Army moving another regiment to the area by 2020.  In addition, it was noted that due to parents wanting to use primary schools that fed into the Wellington Academy, applications for primary school places in Tidworth were rising.

 

(Note: Councillor Mark Connolly, Member for the Tidworth Division, was unable to attend the meeting, but had expressed his support for the proposals, noting that the existing primary schools were already near capacity, and had built or were building additional classrooms.)

 

Resolved:

 

That Cabinet (Capital Assets Committee):

 

1.    Approves delivery of the proposed new school at Tidworth NEQ within a proposed budget of £3.5m and from within the already approved capital programme in accordance with the Council’s statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places; and

2.    Agrees to delegate authority to the Service Director for Business Services in consultation with the Service Director for Schools and Learning to commission and deliver the building project, including negotiation and completion of the required construction contract(s) and ancillary documentation in accordance with Part 11 of the Council’s Constitution (Contract Regulations); and

3.    Confirms their authority to proceed with the acquisition of land adjacent to the school site on NEQ in Tidworth and delegates the completion of necessary legal transactions to the Service Director Business Services in consultation with the Service Director for Schools and Learning.

 

Reasons for Decision

 

Delivery of a new school in Tidworth will enable the Council to meet its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places and will comply with the terms of the NEQ Section 106 agreement. Acquisition of additional land adjacent to the new school site will facilitate future expansion of the school as expected to be necessary by 2018.