Decision details

Approve authority to spend and incur expenditure of from capital scheme number 33177/LAU/000 for works associated with opening Laurence Calvert Free School (7FE) on a temporary site for September 2021. The costs are currently being finalised and will be included in the final version of the Executive Board report.

The Director of Children and Families and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report regarding the proposal to open a temporary school on a site adjacent to the Cockburn Laurence Calvert Free School for September 2021 in order to meet a 7 form of entry shortfall in South Leeds, in advance of the Cockburn Laurence Calvert free school opening between 2022 and 2023. The report also sought the related ‘authority to spend’ and incurring of expenditure to deliver the proposal.

In considering the submitted report, Members discussed the current position regarding the delivery of the Cockburn Laurence Calvert free school, the timeframes involved, the respective roles of the Government and the Council in this process and also the timing of the submitted report to Executive Board.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the continued secondary place pressure in South Leeds and the ongoing measures developed to address those pressures, be noted;

(b)  That the approval received from the Department for Education for the opening of a temporary Cockburn Laurence Calvert 7 form of entry School for provisionally up to 2 years, in advance of the permanent Cockburn Laurence Calvert School opening, to address the shortfall of places in inner South Leeds, be noted;

(c)  That the authority to spend and the incurring of £4,932,032 capital expenditure from capital scheme number 33177/LAU/000, be approved; with it being noted that revenue costs of £1,781,229 will also be incurred for construction works associated with the opening of the temporary Cockburn Laurence Calvert Free School (7 form of entry) on a site adjacent to the permanent school location for September 2021;

(d)  That the requirement for the approval of the temporary school site being subject to a Development Agreement between the Department for Education and the Council for the creation of the school, be noted; and that approval be given for the necessary authority to be delegated to the Director of City Development to enable the Director to approve and enter into the Development Agreement, as detailed in Section 3.2.3 of the submitted report;

(e)  That it be noted that within the Development Agreement is the requirement to enter into an Agreement for Lease for Cockburn Multi Academy Trust for the site; and that the principle terms of the Agreement for Lease, as detailed in section 3.2.4 of the submitted report, be approved; with approval also being given to delegate the necessary authority to the Director of City Development to enable the Director to conclude the details of the final lease agreement;

(f)  That it be noted that the programme dates, as identified in section 3.2 of the submitted report require the Council to award the construction contract on the 22nd March 2021, which is within the associated Call In period; and in order to maintain the critical timeline to ensure the success of the project, approval be given to exempt the resolutions arising from the submitted report as detailed within this minute, from the Call In process, for the reasons as set out within paragraph 4.7.1 of the submitted report;

(g)  That it be noted that the officer responsible for the implementation of such matters is the Head of Service Learning Systems in Children and Families directorate.

(The Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules state that a decision may be declared as being exempt from the Call In process by the decision taker if it is considered that the matter is urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s interests. In line with this, the resolutions contained within this minute were exempted from the Call In process, as per resolution (f) above, and for the reasons as detailed within section 4.7.1 of the submitted report)

Consultation has taken place through school engagements, member briefings, flyer drop (for public awareness) discussions at Programme Risk & Control Group and School Places Programme Board and during pre-application discussions with planning and highways officers.

Middleton Park Ward Members, Cllr Pryor, local community, Cockburn Multi Academy Trust, senior officers in Children’s & Families and City Development, planning and highways.