Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive

The report provides an update on progress in relation to condition projects within the Schools Capital Programme (SCP) following the Cabinet’s decision to establish a £25million SCP to assist in addressing the condition and capacity issues across the school estate. The programme is to be funded using the 2019/20 Basic Need allocation of £10.3m and borrowing of £14.6m, to be repaid as future Schools Condition Allocations are received.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and comment on the contents of the report.

Officer contact: Charlotte Cordingley, 0161 474 4240, charlotte.cordingley@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Scrutiny Committee on progress with condition projects within the Schools Capital Programme (SCP) following the Cabinet’s decision to establish a £25million SCP to assist in addressing the condition and capacity issues across the school estate.

The Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

·         Concern was expressed about the potential scale of the maintenance need and delays in undertaking condition surveys of schools. In response it stated that a significant backlog of work had developed due to the collapse of Carillion, but that had been a historical underinvestment in the school estate. Changes to the categorisation of maintenance need had provided a fuller picture of scale of the need. The £25m agreed previously by the Cabinet was to address the highest priority need.  Assurance was given that there was not necessarily a significantly worsening situation, rather this was due to changes in the approach to reporting.

·         Assurance was sought that following changes in the management arrangement for the programme that the approach would be more effective. In response it was stated that the collapse of Carillion had caused the programme to cease and had a detrimental effect on its delivery, but staffing were now in place to ensure that, working closely with schools, delivery was at pace and delivered in batches to produce efficiencies, which had resulted in some schemes being delivered under budget.

·         Councillors welcomed the increase in activity in delivering the programme.

·         Caution was sounded in respect of prioritizing 'worst first' and this may result in those lower level needs were not met in a timely manner and would lead to disparities in the distribution of improvements across the estate and borough.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Deputy Chief Executive be requested to submit a further report to a future meeting outlining the outcomes of further school conditions surveys.