Issue - meetings

To consider the joint report of the Director of Resources and Housing, the Director of Children and Families and the Director of City Development providing an update on the Learning Places Capital Programme and SEMH programme, presenting the progress made on the projects currently forming part of the Programmes, and seeking relevant approvals to increase the budget for three schemes.

Further to Minute No. 8, 21^st June 2017, the Director of Resources and Housing, the Director of Children and Families and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report providing an update on the Learning Places Capital Programme and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Programme, presenting the progress made on the projects currently forming part of the Programmes, and seeking relevant approvals to increase the budget for three specific schemes.

Responding to a Member’s enquiry, the Board noted the current balance of the programme’s Capital Risk Fund, and was advised that the Risk Fund balance was expected to increase as well as decrease during the life of the programme, as schemes were completed.

In addition, it was noted that officers were confident that the further 16 schemes which were programmed to be delivered in 2018 would be delivered in line with scheme estimates, as detailed within the submitted report.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the following be approved:-

(i)  an increase in the capital spending approval of £3.75m to reset the budget envelopes on completion of robust feasibility studies for the Beecroft, Greenside and Iveson schemes; and

(ii)  a reduction in the total held in the programme risk fund, seeing £3.003m being returned to support the Council’s capital programme commitments elsewhere, with the revised Programme Capital Risk Fund total being reset at £7.540m.

(b)  That the following be noted:-

(i)  The good progress made on this challenging programme of work, which is currently valued at £97.899m;

(ii)  That the following benefits have been delivered from the Projects commissioned via the programme from 2014 onwards. These have been called off through either the YORbuild arrangements and/or in conjunction with the Leeds Local Education Partnership (LLEP): The programme has in total supported 76 new and or existing apprentices in their training as well as successfully assisting 116 people into permanent employment. These figures relate to employees of both main contractors and their supply chains. These schemes have also recycled or reused a minimum of 95% of the waste generated during the construction process;

(iii) That the projected funding deficit which currently stands at £71.7m is primarily based on Education Funding Agency rates, and that with this in mind, Executive Board support be given to the arrangement of a meeting between the Executive Member for Children’s and Families and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).