Decision Maker: Executive
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
The Deputy Mayor and
Executive Member for Education and Culture submitted a report for Executive’s
consideration.
The report sought approval
for capital schemes to be added to the school’s capital programme for delivery
to start in 2024/25.
Middlesbrough Council
shared responsibility with governing bodies for the
maintenance of nine
community and foundation school buildings across the town:
·
Responsibility for general maintenance, repairs and minor capital works
was devolved to schools;
·
The Council was responsible for major capital schemes such as the
replacement of substantial parts of buildings, the provision of new buildings
and other high-value, strategic schemes that would be unaffordable by schools
on their own.
The Council was also
responsible for ensuring there were sufficient school places across the town to
be able to meet demand, including for pupils with Special Education Needs and
Disabilities (SEND) or those requiring Alternative Provision. Investment could
be in both locally maintained schools and Academies.
The schools
capital programme, maintained and delivered by the Assets Team within Property
and Commercial Services, set out all of the centrally funded school capital
works being undertaken to discharge these duties. It was a multi-year, rolling
programme of capital improvements to school buildings.
The report set out new
schemes proposed to be added to the programme. Schemes were selected to address
condition, sufficiency, and other strategic priorities. Schemes were
prioritised to address those elements of schools with the most urgent need or
to secure value for money as part of a larger programme of work.
The costs of the schemes
identified in the report were estimates, until such a time as full feasibility
studies could be undertaken and were subject to change until they had returned
from tender. The schemes would be treated as a programme of works, with savings
in schemes being used to offset increased costs in others and the programme
being managed within the overall funding envelope.
Where there was a
significant deviation from the estimated cost to the Council of individual
schemes these would be revisited, and appropriate action taken. This could
include reducing the scope of works, re-tendering, or postponing the scheme.
Where there was a significant effect on the cost of the programme, which would
result in a key decision being required, this would be brought back to
Executive for decision.
In addition to the schemes
set out in the report, a number of previously approved
schemes, with residual works outstanding, would be completed. Emergency works
would also be undertaken if/when they occurred and other schemes of moderate
value where they were time sensitive e.g. preventative schemes to avoid higher
costs later on, or schemes that addressed Health and
Safety concerns and ensured compliance.
The capital programme
covered schools widely distributed across the town. There were no specific ward
implications. Ward members would be consulted on individual building schemes
where appropriate as part of the normal process of securing planning permission.
The Deputy Mayor clarified
that information about the School Capital Allocation had been made available
since the report’s publication. This had amended paragraph 6.1.4 of the report.
The released information meant Middlesbrough had been allocated an additional
£493,851. This would be allocated to projects in 25/26.
It was also clarified that
the third recommendation of the report regarding £0.106m of external school
funding would be from schools themselves.
ORDERD that Executive:
1.
Approve the amendment to paragraph 6.1.4
of the report as detailed above;
2.
Approve the new schemes included in
Appendix 1;
3.
The reallocation of £0.599 grant funding
sitting within the capital programme, approved by Council on 8 March 2024, from
the Block Budget School Condition Allocation to Schemes in Maintained Primary
Schools and Schemes in Special Schools as detailed within the report; and
4.
An additional £0.106m of external school
funding to be added to the capital programme in order to
fully fund £0.705m of anticipated costs for condition works to schools.
Report author: Gary Maddison
Publication date: 27/12/2024
Date of decision: 10/04/2024
Decided at meeting: 10/04/2024 - Executive
Accompanying Documents: