Issue - meetings

To seek approval for capital schemes to add capacity at primary schools to meet a projected growth in pupil numbers.

Councillor Dine Romero in proposing the item, said that the Council had a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for every child resident in the Council’s area who required a place. The growing population in the area mean that there would be a shortfall in the number of school places unless action were taken. She said that she would like to amend the second recommendation in the report by making each of the capital allocations subject to a feasibility study, and to add a third recommendation noting that the scrutiny of school planning would continue to ensure and open and transparent process.

Councillor Bellotti seconded the amended recommendations. He said that all the projects listed in the report were urgent. Unless action were taken, children would have to travel long distances to school displacing children living more locally. There should be local schools for local children without long-distance bussing. It was important that every school should be funded appropriately.

Councillor Romero said that she entirely agreed with Councillor Bellotti about the importance of local schools for local children.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Bellotti, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To APPROVE the projects put forward, in line with Children’s Services capital programme priorities; and

(2) To APPROVE capital allocations for inclusion in the Capital Programme for projects at the following schools with phasing as shown in the report, subject, in each case, to the approval of a feasibility study;

Weston All Saints Primary - £1.8m

Castle Primary - £800k

Paulton Infants -£850k

Farrington Primary - £115k

St Saviour’s Junior and Paulton Junior- £30k

(3) To NOTE that the process of scrutiny on school planning continues to ensure an open and transparent process.