Agenda item

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.

 

OPTIONS

 

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

 

In the longer-term, such an approach would lead 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.

 

REASONS

 

This was a key decision involving expenditure of over £0.250m, about the allocation of capital funding on school schemes from within existing budgets and was therefore reserved for the Executive.

 

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