Decision details

The Cabinet Member, in consultation with Cllr Seaton, Cabinet Member for Resources, the  Executive Director of Resources and Head of Legal Services :

1. Authorised the acquisition of part of the former Peterborough District Hospital site to be used as a school site.

2. Authorised the payment of £300,000 to the current owners of the site, Land Improvement Holdings S.à. R.L.

The Local Authority has a statutory duty to provide school places.  There are significant pressures across the city, currently these pressures are particularly severe for the younger age groups and will increase year on year as pupils move through the education system.  West Town Academy is in an area of high population growth, with significant pressures from inward migration and birth rate. The current capacity of 315 and admission number of 45 is insufficient for the population of the area.

West Town Academy’s current building on Williamson Avenue is small and in need both of improvements to its suitability and major capital repairs.  In 2011 it was put forward to be rebuilt as part of a bid to the government’s Priority Schools Building Programme.  The bid was successful and West Town was included in the programme to be rebuilt as a three form entry primary school. The rebuild will be funded and project managed by the Education Funding Agency, with support from City Council officers.

West Town Academy is currently accommodated across two sites, the main school site of 4,100 square metres and a detached playing field of 14,000 square metres.  The new building could not be built on the main site as the existing Academy has to keep functioning.  Planners do not consider the detached playing field to be suitable for a new school building because of the proximity of housing and there would be Sport England objections to the loss of playing field.

The proposed re-development of the former district hospital site has presented an opportunity to develop a better site for the new academy.  Negotiations have been held with Land Improvement Holdings and City Council planners to agree a location for the school and include it in the Section 106 agreement.  The proposed site is not large enough for the academy and playing fields and it will still be necessary to use a detached playing field but it will include more outdoor play space than the current site.  

The following options were considered and rejected:

Not to make the payment.  This option was rejected because the site can only be transferred if the payment is made. 

To rebuild West Town Academy on a different site.  This option was rejected because there is no other suitable site available.

None.

School Organisation Plan 2013-2017.