Issue - meetings

                 Report of the Chief Executive

Councillor Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills, presented the report on the School Capital Programme. She praised the team for their outstanding work delivery major projects, and provided details of previously approved schemes, new schemes for approval and the schools maintenance programme. Details were provided of carbon reduction measures in maintained schools, that new schools would be built to be carbon neutral, and details of a contingency fund.

The Cabinet noted the update and added their thanks to the team for the work maintaining the quality of the school estates.

The Chairman of the Children’s Select Committee, Councillor Jon Hubbard, stated he had received a briefing on the report and supported the comments of the Cabinet Member, as well as noting the scale of the work to undertake maintenance including replacing mobile or temporary classrooms.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

That Cabinet,

1)    Notes the progress on previously approved schemes at Appendix A.

2)    Considers and approves the new schemes, subject to planning approval and completed S106 agreements, requiring a total commitment of £10m as outlined at Appendix B.

3)    Approves the Schools Planned Maintenance Programme totalling £3.5m for 2021/22 as outlined at Appendix C.

4)    Authorises 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, 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 sub-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.