Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the Executive meeting held on 13 April 2021 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The minutes of the Executive meeting held on 11 May 2021 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The Executive Member for Culture, Communities and Education and Director of Education, Prevention and Partnerships submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to seek approval of new schemes to be added to the Schools Capital Programme for delivery in the academic years 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Middlesbrough Council shared responsibility with governing bodies for the maintenance of 12 community and foundation school buildings across the town. The 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. Investment could be in both locally maintained schools and academies.

Schemes were selected to address maintenance, 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.

Appendix 1 of the submitted report set out the programme proposed for delivery during the 2020/21 academic year, running into 2021/22. It included schemes aimed at improving the condition of schools - roof works, fire alarms, improvements to heating systems and structural works and investment to provide more school places.

OPTIONS

The Executive could have chosen not to approve the schemes for inclusion in the Schools Capital Programme. In the short term, that could have led to elements of the buildings identified failing, resulting in lost teaching and learning time, inappropriate learning environments, Health and Safety risks and a shortage of school places.

In the longer-term, such an approach would have led to the gradual decline of the condition of the schools, children being out of school unnecessarily and escalating costs for both the schools and the Council.

ORDERED

That the new schemes included in Appendix 1 be added to the Schools Capital Programme for delivery in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

REASON

To ensure that the grant funding available was spent in a timely manner on improving teaching and learning environments and outcomes for young people.

To deliver the Council’s statutory obligation to ensure there were sufficient school places to meet demand, in particular at secondary age or as a result of housing development, and to meet suitability and condition requirements.

There was no obligation for the Council to consult over those schemes. Schools named in the programme had been engaged on a tentative basis to ensure that, where a school contribution to the cost of schemes was required, that could be agreed.

The Schools Capital Programme had not been examined by the Overview and Scrutiny Board or by a Scrutiny Panel.