Decision details

The Council has a statutory duty to secure sufficient schools are available for their area to provide primary and secondary education. The School Organisation Plan 2019 – 2025 covers the current level of primary and secondary school provision in the Authority and projected pupil numbers up to admissions in September 2023 for primary and 2025 for secondary. School places projected to be required due to population growth and new housing development up to 2029 are also outlined.

The Cabinet Member agrees that:

The proposed strategy for the provision of school places within the 2019 – 2025 Plan period is approved.

The LA has undertaken significant planning and investment for increasing capacity for children with SEND. These developments can be viewed via links in the Plan document. Future iterations of the LA’s Plan will include planning for children with SEND, but the Cabinet Member can be reassured that significant planning and delivery for children with SEND in Bath and North East Somerset has been undertaken.

The LA retains responsibility for pupil place planning in its area. In order to do this effectively the LA must identify where new school places will be required as a result of underlying population growth and pupils generated from new housing development, how much additional provision is required and when. This additional provision might be provided via Basic Need funding from the Government or Section 106 (S106) Developer Contributions or Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) as a result of new housing developments.

There is projected to be a future shortfall in school places in some areas and the LA must plan for the additional provision that is needed. The Plan will serve as a useful planning tool to identify areas and levels of need, when investment in places will be needed and to inform discussions with Developers concerning S106 Developer Contributions, including land.

The Plan Appendix 1 to this report contains all the information that the Cabinet Member should require in order to be able to assess the proposed strategy. A summary of the key issues impacting on pupil place planning is set out below.

Despite significant changes to the educational landscape with the majority of schools becoming Academies and free schools being established, the Local Authority still retains the responsibility for pupil place planning in its area and for ensuring there are sufficient schools available.

Due to the delivery of new schools and school expansions over recent years and to further expansions and new schools under construction and planned, primary school provision is expected to be sufficient for future pupil numbers arising from underlying population growth up to 2023 and housing development allocated in the Core Strategy period.

Should future proposed new housing development identified in the Local Plan in a particular area be projected to result in a shortfall of primary school places, the Authority will apply CIL funding or seek S106 Developer Contributions to provide additional school places. These places are likely to be delivered via the expansion of existing schools.

In those areas where options for delivery of additional places via the expansion of existing schools is limited because the schools cannot be expanded as the sites they occupy are not large enough, any future housing allocation in these areas would require whole new schools to be provided.

In most areas, existing secondary school provision is expected to be sufficient for future pupil numbers arising from underlying population growth up to 2025 and housing development allocated in the Core Strategy period. Additional capacity is expected to be required in the Greater Bath Consortium Planning area and the Norton Hill Planning area.

Should a shortfall of secondary school places be projected as a result of future proposed new housing development identified in the Local Plan, the Authority will apply CIL funding or seek S106 Developer Contributions to provide additional school places. These places are likely to be delivered via the expansion of existing schools.

Officers will continue to work closely with colleagues in Planning Policy to ensure that any land requirements for school expansions or the provision of new schools are reflected in the Local Plan.

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