Decision details

Housing development and population growth in Keynsham have required Castle Primary to expand from a 210 1FE to 420 2FE primary. Phase 4 of the project is to complete additional permanent accommodation and facilities for a 420 place primary school.

The Cabinet Member agrees to approve a capital budget of £2.626m.  Section 106 contributions totalling £1.261m received by the Council and a carry forward of £70k from the previous phase 3 project budget is available, leaving a balance of £1.295m to be allocated from Basic Need funding.

The Council retains the legal responsibility for pupil place planning in its area and in order to do this effectively must find solutions for the delivery of additional school places where required.

Basic Need grant funding is made available to local authorities to address the issue of population growth, enabling them to provide additional school places.

The additional primary school places in the Castle Primary area are required due to one third population growth and two thirds housing development.  The project will be funded by S106 and Basic Need.

The Primary and Secondary School Organisation Plan 2015-19 (SOP) indicates the Council’s Educational Strategies and Criteria for provision of new school places as a result of new housing development or underlying population growth.

Castle Primary school was selected for expansion:

Due to the school’s proximity to the new housing development.  The new housing is adjacent to Castle Primary and the school is therefore the closest for the pupils generated by the development.

The SOP states “Where possible existing schools should be expanded.”

Land adjacent to the school site to be transferred to the Council, free of charge, as part of S106 Agreements to enable the expansion of Castle Primary.

S106 capital contributions have been received to enable the provision of primary school places in the area.

There are insufficient school places in the Keynsham area to accommodate the children generated by the housing development and the underlying population growth.

To aid parental preference as stated in the SOP and to facilitate sustainable methods of transport to school and keep home to school transport costs to a minimum.

No other options were considered, the expansion of the school is required due to pupils generated from housing development adjacent to the school; S106 land and capital contributions were secured to enable the expansion of Castle Primary.