Decision details

The Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Executive Director - Children’s Services ; Executive Director – Strategic Resources and the Head of Legal Services authorised:

1. The construction of a new school building on a separate Council owned site (currently leased to Belvedere Bowls Club) and the refurbishment and remodelling of existing school buildings to accommodate the expansion of Fulbridge Academy up to the value of the budget sum of £3.5m. This sum shall also include funding for Information and Communications Technology (ICT), all site surveys, project management and technical advisers fees, costs associated with the access rights across adjacent land owned by Accent Nene and the relocation of Belvedere Bowls Club; and

2. The Executive Director of Children Services to vary the design and build lump sum option contract with Carillion Construction Ltd to include the construction of a new school building and the refurbishment and remodelling of existing buildings to accommodate the expansion of Fulbridge Academy.

The Local Authority has a statutory duty to provide school places.  There are significant pressures on the PE1 area and the city as a whole.  The decision to expand Fulbridge Academy was made by the Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and University following review of and approval to an expression of interest from Fulbridge Academy. 

As a result of the above, Fulbridge Academy is expanding to four forms of entry. The proposed scheme will :

·         Provide a new block for year 5 and year 6 childrenwith 8 classrooms, hall, administration office and meeting rooms on a new site; and

·         Refurbish existing site to include formation of a new classroom and expansion of existing hall.

The existing Fulbridge Academy site located on Keeton Road is very constrained, situated in the middle of a built up residential area and does not provide opportunities for expansion.  The split site will enable the school to expand and continue to provide education as a well established and well respected school, judged as ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED in March 2012.

            The Belvedere Bowls Club site is the only asset held by the Council that can practically provide additional school place capacity for Fulbridge Academy. Moreover, it is only by way of fair and reasonable compensation arrangements with Belvedere Bowls Club and Accent Nene and their willingness to collaborate with the Council that the site can be made available to enable the entire project to materialise.

            Taking into account the ideal location of the site relative to Fulbridge Academy, lack of alternative sites, lack of opportunity to expand the main school and limited alternative uses, officers consider that expenditure on compensation arrangements offers value for money to the Council and makes best use of the asset. The expenditure represents a relatively modest part of the overall budget yet without it the project would not proceed at a time when there has never been greater pressures on primary school places generally and specifically in the PE1 area.

            The Council could possibly negotiate access rights with Accent Nene to enable a disposal of the bowls club site or sell the site to them, in both cases to provide more affordable/supported housing. Either would generate a capital receipt but would not allow the school expansion project to materialise. Taking into account the bowls club development constraints, anticipated neighbour objections to housing (expressed at the public consultations) and the probability of enhanced compensation to Accent Nene, officers consider that the resulting site value and lost opportunity are far outweighed by the school expansion proposal that will make the most effective long term use of the asset.

The following options were considered and rejected:

To do nothing. This option was rejected due to the shortage of primary pupil places in PE1 and the Local Authority’s statutory duty to provide sufficient school places.

Select an alternative site. Alternative sites within the PE1 area were considered but rejected by the Children’s Services Capital Projects Board, as this site offers the most appropriately located and cost effective option.

Sell the site. The Council could generate a relatively modest capital receipt as described but this would prevent the school expansion project from proceeding and the opportunity to do so in the future would be permanently lost, along with the EFA funding contribution. This is not a viable alternative option.

Tender separately for the works ie, do not use the batched contract arrangement. If the             batched contract arrangement with Carillion was not to be used this would mean that the             Council would have to spend some 3 - 4 months procuring a contractor to build the new school. The batched arrangement obviates the need for such a procurement exercise and enables the Council to deliver the additional accommodation required for January 2015.

None

School Organisation Plan 2012-2017.