Agenda item

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Schools

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Regeneration and Communications presented a report on the proposed School Capital Maintenance Grant Allocations for 2022/23. The following points were discussed:

(a)  the grant received from the Department for Education for school capital maintenance in 2021/22 was more than anticipated. As such, it is now possible to agree the capital maintenance programme for 2022/23 earlier than normal using the 2021/22 excess funding, and proceed to tender for the contracts to carry out the work during the 2022 school summer holidays, or before. This will enable important maintenance to be carried out at a number of schools more quickly – particularly those with older buildings with significant repair needs.

Resolved:

(1)  to approve the proposed school capital maintenance funding and delivery of schemes for 2022/23, and to note the draft strategy document (as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, which represents a place-holding document that underpins the prioritisation of schemes ahead of the full development of the Council Asset Management strategy), the Business Case (Appendix 2) and the prioritisation process (Appendix 3). The proposals have been subject to the scrutiny of the Council’s Project Assurance Group, with a list of recommendations included in Appendix 6;

(2)  to approve the use of the uncommitted balance of £1,400,000 in grant funding secured and received in 2021/22 to deliver the schemes listed in Appendix 4 to the report, and to amend the Capital Programme to reflect this. £150,000 is to be set aside as a contingency fund to address any urgent health and safety issues that may arise in 2022/23;

(3)  to delegate authority to the Corporate Director for People, subject to value for money being demonstrated and costs being within the overall budget allocated for the programme of works: to adjust the number of projects prioritised in Appendix 4 to the report and in the health and safety contingency fund as required, to ensure that the final project costs are not in excess of the £1,400,000 secured grant funding; to allocate contingency funding to projects, such as health and safety or condition issues, that arise during 2022/23; and to adjust the funding allocation for each project once cost information is finalised;

(4)  to delegate authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to appoint a contractor to design, procure and manage the mechanical and electrical schemes and the asbestos removal scheme within the programme;

(5)  to approve the roofing scheme being put out to competitive tender in line with the Council’s Financial Regulations or, if the tender process timelines are not achievable (and the scheme cannot be delivered in the 2022 school summer holidays), the procurement of the scheme through the SCAPE regional construction framework;

(6)  to approve the procurement of the replacement of hot water pipes, window repairs and fire safety work schemes through the SCAPE regional construction framework.

·  Reasons for the decision

The prioritisation of the funding for school capital maintenance is in line with the draft Capital Maintenance Strategy and is based on an extensive review of schools and the technical advice received. There are two areas where funding has been prioritised: health and safety issues likely to impact on children and staff to ensure the safeguarding of pupils within the school site, ensuring buildings are structurally sound and the building can be safely evacuated in the event of an emergency; and condition issues likely to impact on the operation of the school, to ensure that school buildings are warm and dry to negate the potential of schools closing and loss of learning for the pupils.

·  Other options considered

To combine the secured, uncommitted balance of £1.4 million from the 2021/2022 schools maintenance funding with basic need funding to address the shortfall in school places across the city, or to retain the £1.4 million uncommitted balance from the 2021/22 schools maintenance fund to then amalgamate it with the anticipated 2022/23 grant that is expected in April 2022: both of these options are rejected as they would leave schools at risk of closure through health and safety or condition issues. It would also mean that school buildings would continue to deteriorate, increasing the risk of forced closure for emergency repairs. The uncommitted balance of £1.4 million is funding the Council has already secured and gives the opportunity to prioritise and plan the works at a far earlier stage than in previous years.