Decision details

The Cabinet Member:

1.  Authorised the Council to act as the Responsible Body for the self-delivery of the procurement, design and build of a new primary school at Hampton and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Education to enable a feasibility study to be completed and a capital budget to be set by the DfE.

2.  Authorised the Executive Director People and Communities to enter into a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (to include the completion of early works) and subsequently award the design and build contract to the successful DfE MMC1 Framework Panel Member.

3.  Authorised the Head of Legal Services or delegated officers to enter into any legal documentation on behalf of the Council in relation to this matter, including the transfer of land to the Council for the purposes of the school.

4.  Authorised the Head of Legal Services or delegated officers to enter into a Development Agreement with the DfE and the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA), and grant a 125 year lease of the school playing field only to the RCDEA after the defects liability period has expired.  Upon completion, the buildings and hard standing areas will be vested to the RCDEA pursuant to paragraph 20 of Schedule 6 to the School Standards Framework Act 1998.

The Local Authority has a statutory duty to provide school places.  There are significant pressures on the city to provide school places in the areas most in need.  A review of demographic data, build out and occupation rates for new dwellings at Hampton East has informed the decision to open new schools upon land subject to a Section 106 Agreement.

As a result of the above and the Council’s approval of the RCDEA’s proposal to open a new VA primary school, the proposed scheme will:

-  provide up to 630 new primary school places and 26 nursery places for children living in the Hampton East area

-  the school will open on an incremental basis offering places to reception and year 1 and 2 children only in September 2022

-  to be delivered following the RCDEA’s successful  application submitted to the DfE’s VA Capital Programme for establishing new Voluntary Aided (VA) schools and the Council’s decision to approve the RCDEA’s proposal to open a new VA Roman Catholic school in Hampton East

- a contractor to design and build the school in line with the DfE Output Specification for School will be procured via the DfE MMC1 Framework

-  90% of the capital cost of the delivery of the school build will be grant funded by the DfE.  The Council will fund the remaining 10% (see paragraphs 3.14 and 3.

The following options were considered and rejected:

To do nothing.  This option was rejected due to the Local Authority’s statutory duty to provide sufficient school places and approval of the RCDEA’s proposal to open a new three form entry VA primary school.  Demography analysis, build out and occupation rates for the new dwellings at Hampton East demonstrate a need for the additional school and nursery places from September 2022.  Land for the school was identified in the Hampton Section 106 Agreement.

To tender outside of the DfE MMC1 Framework.  This option was rejected due to the DFE presumption in favour on Responsible Bodies self-delivering new schools to use DfE Frameworks.  The DfE MMC1 Framework and the more traditional DfE Contractors Framework were both considered.  Both Frameworks were established specifically for the delivery of school projects and offer specialist advice to framework users.  Panel Members are approved by the DfE for school build delivery as set out in the Output Specification for schools.  The MMC1 Framework has been developed in order to create further efficiencies in school build deliver in terms of time, cost, quality and environmental impact.  It also offers a shorter pre-construction and construction period to ensure the programme for delivery of this school can be met for a September 2022 opening.

None.

School Organisation Plan 19-20 https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/schools-and-education/school-organisation-plan

Medium Term Financial Strategy