Issue details

Under section 14 of the Education Act 1996, Local Authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient schools for primary and secondary education in their areas.  In order to achieve this the Council's priority is to ensure there is sufficient provision of school places in the right areas to meet need.  These places can be delivered within community, academy, free school and voluntary aided schools.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions are received by the Council from Developers for housing development in an area to help deliver the infrastructure needed to support development.

To allocate CIL contributions received by the Council and provisionally approved at the Council's budget reports in 2019-20 and 2020-21 to support Norton Hill School in a capital project to refurbish and remodel a gym into a multi-use PE, drama and performance space.  The project will alleviate overcrowding and enable the school to continue to accept additional pupils due to population growth and housing development in the area.  The project will enable local children to continue to attend their nearest school.

Failure to provide sufficient places in the right areas will result in the Council failing in its statutory duty; parents and children being required to travel out of their locality to attend another school; increased transport (revenue) costs and schools being unable to take local children.