Issue - meetings

That, subject to the agreement of the detailed financial information for the expansion as set out in agenda item 21 in Part 2 of this agenda, the business case for the provision of an additional form of entry (210 places) primary places in the Walton and Hersham primary planning area be approved.

Reasons for Decisions:

The proposal supports the Authority’s statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places to meet the needs of the population in the Walton and Hersham area.

[The decision on this item may be called in by either the Education and Skills Scrutiny Board or the Council Overview Board]

The Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement requested the approval of the business case for the expansion of Ashley C of E Primary School from a two form of entry school (420 places) to a three form of entry primary school (630 places), which would create 210 additional places in Walton on Thames to help meet the basic need requirements in the planning area from September 2017.

She said that it would be a phased building project which involved demolition and rebuilding of part of the school and she was pleased to report that the Council had received a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contribution from Elmbridge Borough Council to mitigate some of the cost of this project.

She said that school rolls had been rising steadily across Elmbridge since 2003 – over this period the birth rate had risen by nearly 25% and in this area was not expected to peak until 2017. She said that the report set out options considered to meet the need, plus the reasons for discounting each one and why expansion at Ashley CofE Primary School was the best option.

She said that the school was on a very restricted site and that the proposal consisted of the demolition of the caretaker’s house, to be replaced by a new two storey building of four classrooms and group rooms. A small flat in the roof space would be incorporated for the resident caretaker plus there would be two other new classrooms and adaptations to the hall.

She confirmed that the consultation process had been undertaken and the results had been summarised in a report to the Governing Body on 14 January 2016 and that this was a popular and successful school.

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the agreement of the detailed financial information for the expansion as set out in agenda item 21 in Part 2 of this agenda, the business case for the provision of an additional form of entry (210 places) primary places in the Walton and Hersham primary planning area be approved.

Reasons for Decisions:

The proposal supports the Authority’s statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places to meet the needs of the population in the Walton and Hersham area.