Issue - meetings

The School Organisation Plan 2019 – 2025 at Appendix 1 (the Plan) 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, based on births and resident population data.

The Director of Education, Inclusion and Children’s Safeguarding introduced the report and said that it seeks to provide reassurance of the number of school places available over the coming years. He added that there was a separate process for planning for places for those pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The School Organisation Manager explained that 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.

She informed the Panel that 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. She said that additional capacity is expected to be required in the Greater Bath Consortium Planning area and the Norton Hill Planning area.

She added that 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 and that these places are likely to be delivered via the expansion of existing schools.

The Chairman commented that he was aware that Chew Valley Secondary School could expect a further 500 pupils in total.

The School Organisation Manager replied that this was a significant number but that most of those pupils will likely to be living outside of the school’s catchment area, so Chew Valley had sufficient capacity for B&NES residents.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson said that the impact of the Mendip Local Plan if approved would be considerable as it would potentially allow 515 new dwellings on the border of Westfield and Midsomer Norton. She added that around 180 of these dwellings would be in close proximity to Westfield Primary School.

She stated that Section 106 and CIL funding does not follow the pupils across Council boundaries.

She said that she believed that the information provided on page 56 of the report was out of date as the Radstock Railway Line housing development had already been completed and that permission for the approved Old Pit Yard, Clandown had lapsed.

She said that the application for further housing at theformer MoD Ensleigh site referred to in the Plan had recently been turned down by the Planning Committee.

She asked, referring to Whitchurch, where children might be displaced to Bristol, what agreement do we have in place to ensure that spaces will be available in Bristol for these children.

The School Organisation Manager replied that the displaced primary age pupils would be expected to be Bristol residents and therefore the responsibility of Bristol City Council. Also that cross border communication with school place planning colleagues in Bristol is ongoing and constructive.  Whitchurch is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10