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 1 form of entry (210 places) primary places in Epsom 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 Epsom and Ewell area.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by either the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee or the Children and Education Select Committee]

The Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning said that the County Council was embarking on the biggest school investment programme in Surrey’s history and asked Cabinet to approve the Business Case for the expansion of Stamford Green Primary School from a 2 form of entry primary (420 places) to a 3 form of entry primary (630 places) creating 210 additional places in Epsom to help meet the basic need requirements in the Epsom and Ewell area. She said that Stamford Green Primary School was a popular school which had been voted ‘good’ by Ofsted.

She referred to the concerns of Mrs Lallement, the local County Councillor, who was unable to attend today to put her concerns, relating to traffic and road safety in the locality, to Cabinet in person. She also said that Mrs Lallement was sponsoring an on-line petition. Finally, she said that the planning application would be considered by the Planning and Regulatory Committee in July and therefore, approval of the business case would be subject to planning permission.

The Cabinet Member for Business Services confirmed that the business case had been subject to robust cost challenges.

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 1 form of entry (210 places) primary places in Epsom 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 Epsom and Ewell area.