Agenda item

To consider the joint report of the Director of Children and Families, the Director of Resources and Housing and the Director of City Development presenting an update on the three year strategy for providing sufficient school places in the city, an update on progress of the projects currently forming part of the Learning Places Programme and the SEMH Programme, outlining the revised programme governance arrangements and seeking a number of associated approvals.

Further to Minute No. 127, 14^th December 2016, the Director of Children and Families, the Director of Resources and Housing and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report presenting an update on the 3 year strategy for providing sufficient school places in the city, on the progress of the projects currently forming part of the Learning Places Programme, outlining the revised programme of governance arrangements and which sought relevant approvals in order to progress the programme. 

The Board acknowledged the complexities of the challenges being tackled by the Programme, and in response to an enquiry, Members highlighted the need for the Council to continue to work in a cohesive cross-party manner in order to effectively address such challenges.

Also, the Board received further information on the actions which were being taken with the aim of ensuring that the planning process in this area operated as smoothly as possible, and discussed the process by which proposals were brought forward as part of the Learning Places Programme.

Members also considered the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), and how such monies could potentially be utilised to help address those issues being tackled by the Learning Places Programme, and it was noted that a report regarding CIL was scheduled to be submitted to the July meeting of the Board.

In conclusion, it was undertaken that should any specific Board Members require it, a briefing on such matters could be provided to them.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the ‘authority to spend’ on the Learning Places Programme for the three schemes, as detailed in the submitted report, at a total value of £19.3m, be approved;

(b)  That approval be given for the balance of the programme capital risk fund to be reset from £6.13m to £10.771m, in order to facilitate effective risk management at programme level, with approval also being given on the ‘authority to spend’ on the increase of £4.641m;

(c)  That approval be given to the revision of the programme governance arrangements, which are proposed to maintain an appropriate level of check and challenge, which include:-

·  the delegation of the approval of design and cost reports for the schemes which form part of the programme, approved by Executive Board, to the Director of Children & Families, and that these approvals shall be subject to the agreement of the Director of City Development and the Director of Resources & Housing, in consultation with the appropriate Executive Member, and that these reports will be open to scrutiny by Members; and

·  the delegation of the management and use of the basic need risk capital fund to the Director of Children & Families, and that these decisions shall be subject to the agreement of the Director of City Development and the Director of Resources & Housing, in consultation with the appropriate Executive Member, and that decisions on these matters will be open to scrutiny by Members.

(d)  That the following be noted:-

(i)  The good progress made on this challenging programme of work, which is currently valued at £128.651m.

(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 72 new and existing apprentices and 102 people into employment. These figures relate to employees of both main contractors and their supply chains. These schemes have also recycled or reused 99% of the waste generated during the construction process with only 1% going to landfill. 

(iii)  The projected funding deficit which currently stands at £71.20m 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 & Families and the Education Funding Agency.

(iv)  That in the current reporting period there has been one request to access the programme capital risk fund for Bramley Primary School totalling £0.57m, which was approved in accordance with the Executive Board governance arrangements.

(v)  That any savings made on applications on the programme capital risk fund are returned to the risk fund in order to support continued management of programme risks.