Agenda item

To hear the Call-In of any decision made at the Cabinet meeting prior to this meeting or made by Cabinet Members, other Council Committees or a delegated officer and published within five working days of this meeting.

Members should bring their Cabinet agenda to the meeting.

Members should consider any other decisions published in the five working days before this meeting.

The purpose of this meeting is to decide whether to refer back any decision to the decision maker.

Members gave consideration to the Cabinet reports of 28 July 2011 and after careful consideration Members decided not to call-in any decision made by the Cabinet at their meeting.

The Chairman of the Committee also agreed to waive the scrutiny call-in on Cabinet’s decisions in respect of:

·       Item 6 – Hillingdon’s response to the Government’s consultation on High Speed Rail

·       Item 24 – Extra Care Housing; contract award for the provision of personal care.

However further information was requested on the following matters within Cabinet agenda Item 8 – Primary School Capital Programme:

1.    Additional information on the s106 monies available for community and landscaping and which developments the monies have been gained from;

2.    Has there been any exploration of other sites for a new school in the south of the Borough?

3.    A reassurance of the quality of the data now being used to forecast pupil numbers;

4.    In table 1 of the report where it indicates the current forecast of 24 forms of entry for 2012/13, can officers provide a breakdown of this information by individual school;

5.    Whilst agreeing the need for “principles spanning phase 2 and 3” (as set out in the report), the Committee required clarification on whether such principles would be flexible, if the need arises for a particular school site.

[Subsequent to the meeting, officers provided the following responses:

The additional Section 106 monies that may be considered are set out in the table below from the Community Facilities Funds, and Environment Funds respectively:

Community Facilities Funds

Environment Funds

A need has been identified for a new school in the School Place Planning Area 11.  The Council has no land in its ownership within this area or close to its boundaries except for green spaces and Hayes Pool.  With regard to Hayes Pool, the site size requirement for a new school is 5 hectares, compared to the Hayes Pool site area of 1.05 hectares including a shared access.  The use of Botwell open space is not feasible as this land, forming mainly 3G football pitches, is managed by the Council’s leisure operator GLL, and was financed partly by the Football Foundation , and is therefore already committed as sport for the community.

The industrial history of Hayes means that many sites are heavily contaminated, which has affected the Council’s ability to consider former employment land.  Two sites not in the Council’s ownership were excluded  as follows:

1.       London Gate site, Blyth Road, Hayes

The site is approximately 6.61 hectares in area and lies within the Botwell Conservation Area.  There are listed buildings on site and the site is very heavily contaminated.  The contamination issues link to an underground aquifer and are complex.  The site is not suitable for a school development.

2.      Glenister Hall – Vacant site

At 1.4 hectares this site is too small for a 3FE school , and has been owned by a national housebuilder for the last 5 years.  The site is clearly unsuitable as it is too small and could only be purchased at residential land values which would be prohibitive.

Finally, Minet Country Park is owned by the Council, but has no current road access.  The only feasible road access has severe congestion issues.  The site is green belt, with land contamination issues.  There is also concern as to the implications of the Southall Gas works site.  All of these factors excluded this site from consideration.

Each year, an estimate is produced of the number of school places required for several years ahead using a number of data sources. A forecast range is produced, which informs the planning of provision. The base source is the official population projection provided annually by the Greater London Authority (GLA). The following are also taken into account in producing the forecasts:

• Recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) births data
• Primary Care Trust (PCT) registrations
• Expected child-yield from housing developments
• School intakes as a proportion of the population

The forecast Reception number for January 2011 was 96.58% accurate. The overall forecast for primary pupils was 98.84% accurate.

However robust the forecast methodology, the predictions cannot be certain. For example, the steep rise in births experienced in 2008 was not predicted by either the ONS or GLA.  Therefore, actual demand for places is monitored closely.

The following table shows the latest estimate for the number of additional forms of entry for each school place planning area for September 2012. Feasibility studies are in progress. This requirement is in addition to schemes being progressed at Whitehall, Grange Park, Colham Manor, Brookside, William Byrd, Cranford Park and Rosedale College i.e. the overall number expected to be required is 23.5 forms of entry/24 schools.

The principles are intended as guidance where practicable. Its  integration into schemes of either phase will be undertaken through an analysis of specific need.  The application of these principles predominantly with new-build /stand alone projects provides a degree of flexibility which will enable officers to effectively assess and adopt the most cost-effective and practicable approach to project delivery, whilst still complying with DfE guidelines."]

RESOLVED -    

1.      That the decisions made by Cabinet at their meeting on 28 July 2011 be endorsed and noted and no call-in be made of any decision. 

      2.   That officers be asked to provide responses to the issues outlined above.