Contact: Bob Eardley, Strategic Planning Manager, 01962 846275. Email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out proposed changes to the 2005/06 capital programme.

1.2 The proposals in this report support the following corporate aims:

· Aim 1 (Maximising life opportunities) by proposing allocations of funding to improve the learning environments of Hampshire schools.

· Aim 5 - (Improving services) by considering solutions which will contribute to the raising of educational standards.

1.3 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

Children Act outcomes

1.4 The five outcomes specified in the Children Act are set out below, with a summary of how the proposals in this report contribute to their achievement:

· being healthy (enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle): through proposals to encourage walking and cycling to and from school;

· staying safe (being protected from harm and neglect): by creating safe environments in schools, particularly through the separation of pedestrians and vehicles;

· enjoying and achieving (getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood): by providing a high standard of education for children in suitable buildings;

· making a positive contribution (being involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour): by encouraging the flexible use of accommodation;

· economic well-being (not being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential in life): by ensuring that proposals will not disadvantage children and will protect equality of opportunity.

2. Amendments to the 2005/06 capital programme

Wherwell Primary School

2.1 A major project to replace a temporary classroom and associated work at Wherwell Primary School at a cost of £0.539m excluding fees was let in August 2004. Following the discovery of bats in the existing building in November 2004, the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services reported to the Executive Member for Education that some elements of the work on site would need to be delayed and that additional costs would be incurred as a result. The extent of additional expenditure was not known at the time and needed to be negotiated with the contractor for the project.

2.2 These negotiations have now been concluded and authority is sought for additional expenditure of £0.082m to allow the contract to be completed. This cost can be met from the capital programme contingency.

Health and safety issues

2.3 Major projects are in hand to improve external safety at two secondary schools; details are set out below

Alderman Quilley School, Eastleigh

2.4 On July 2005 the Executive Member for Environment approved a project at Alderman Quilley School, Eastleigh under the Safer Routes to Schools initiative to improve access and site safety by relocating the car park away from the main entrance, with new access roads, footpaths and cycle ways. Funding is from a range of sources: Safer Routes to School (£0.125m), Policy and Resources (£0.035m) and Alderman Quilley School (£0.015m). There is a shortfall of £0.020m on the overall cost of the project and in view of the contribution which will be made to pedestrian safety on the site, it is recommended that a contribution of £0.020m is made to the project from the capital programme block vote for health and safety.

Hounsdown School, Totton

2.5 A second Safer Routes to School scheme is now under way at this school to provide improvements similar to those at Alderman Quilley School. Funding is from a similar range of sources: Safer Routes to School (£0.110m), Policy and Resources (£0.050m) and Hounsdown School (£0.061m). Again, funding is insufficient to complete the final stage of the project, which is to relocate the cycle shelter to the front of the site to avoid it being accessed along the narrow vehicular entrance road. The estimated cost of this element of the work is £0.040m, of which £0.020m can be met through further funding from Safe Routes to School. In view of the contribution that the proposed relocation would make to site safety and the separation of motor vehicles and cycle users, it is recommended that £0.020m is contributed from the provision for health and safety improvements.

Developers' contributions

2.6 Contributions totalling £0.171m for primary school provision in north-east Basingstoke have been received from housing developers. This sum needs to be added to the current year's resources and reserved towards meeting the cost of additional primary places in this area.

Funding for Early Years Centre project at Sharps Copse Primary School, Havant

2.7 On 21 July 2004 the Executive Member for Education approved funding of £0.330m for a project to provide an early years centre in the former Sharps Copse Infant School, Havant. The approval was given to allow the project to proceed in advance of an anticipated allocation of funding from the DfES, following submission of a funding bid. Confirmation of an allocation of funding of £0.330m has recently been received and it is recommended that this amount is now added to the 2005/06 resources.

Funding for Early Years Centre project at Park Primary School, Aldershot

2.8 On 22 January 2004 the Executive Member for Education approved an allocation of funding from the capital programme provision for early years facilities towards the cost of an early years centre at Park Primary School, Aldershot. At the time it was noted that a bid for funding towards the cost of this project had been submitted to the DfES. A grant of £0.100m has now been received and it is recommended that this sum is added to the current year's provision for permanent early years buildings.

Projects to assist with the management of falling rolls - The Connaught School, Aldershot

2.9 This school has a capacity of 1,050 places and a number on roll of 795. Discussions have taken place with the headteacher about measures to reduce the school's capacity, to bring it more into line with current and anticipated numbers on roll. During the recent summer holidays two double temporary classrooms were removed from the school site. Together with some re-designation of teaching spaces to reflect their current specialist use, these changes have reduced The Connaught's capacity to 850 places.

2.10 The school has identified a shortage of hard play area and it is proposed that additional hard play space is provided on land previously occupied by the temporary classrooms. The total cost of this project is £0.035m and the school is able to contribute £0.025m; it is recommended that the balance of £0.010 is made available from the block vote for the management of falling rolls to support this project.

Trospacc Early Years and Family Centre, Havant

2.11 Children's centres are a key strand of the strategy under Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004 to achieve better outcomes for children and families through the delivery of integrated services. Since 1990 the County Council has taken opportunities to establish early years centres (EYCs) offering a wide range of services in local communities across the county. These centres are now of greater importance, providing an excellent foundation for taking this work forward as part of the transformation of services for children and families required under the Children Act 2004.

2.12 In phase 1 of the children's centre initiative (2004-06), Sure Start funded children's centres had to be located in and serve families in one of the 20% most disadvantaged wards and/or pockets of disadvantage, of which Hampshire has five. The Sure Start Unit at the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) gave each local authority a target number of children to reach within these areas by March 2006.

2.13 The Trospacc centre was established as part of the first phase of children's centres and is based on the Trosnant Infant and Junior Schools site, which is located within one, but will serve two, of Hampshire's 20% most disadvantaged areas. The centre acts as a hub for services for children and families (particularly for children aged 0-19 years with special needs) in the local community.

2.14 To meet the designated core offer, early education integrated with full day care must be provided. Proposals have been drawn up for the Trospacc Centre to provide 36 new full day-care places. Owing to the limited space at the existing centre, a separate building is required on the school campus to deliver the full day-care strand of the core offer.

2.15 The Director of Property, Business and regulatory Services has carried out an outline feasibility study to establish an indicative cost for providing the building, which would involve a develop and construct procurement arrangement, either by a competitive tender to a short list of preferred contractors or a direct negotiation. This would enable the timetable of starting on site in January 2006 and completing by the end of May 2006 to be achieved. The estimated costs and funding sources of the new building are shown in Table 1:

Table 1

Estimated project costs		Funding sources
	£'m		£'m
Building costs	0.560	Sure Start Children's Centre capital	0.100
Fees	0.085	DfES General Sure Start Grant	0.300
Furniture/fittings	0.055
Total	0.700	Total	0.400
		Shortfall	0.300

2.16 Both elements of Sure Start funding have to be spent by the end of March 2006 to meet DfES requirements. In order to protect this funding it is proposed that the shortfall of £0.300m be met from the block vote in the capital programme for early years provision

Littlefold Family Centre, Waterlooville

2.17 Proposals have been developed to provide a range of inter-agency services from the Littlefold Family Centre, which serves an area of deprivation in Wecock, Waterlooville. These proposals are consistent with the aims of the Children's Centre strategy and would be implemented from the two existing buildings at Littlefold and a nearby community centre. The services to be offered would be:

· early education and childcare (36 places);

· family support and outreach with children aged 0-11, young mums' group, drop-ins, Home Start and parenting courses;

· Children and Family Health - healthy living, nutrition, Cool 2B Healthy projects and child safety;

· signposting to other services and facilities in the area.

2.18 The estimated cost of building work to adapt the existing buildings is £0.230m, which will be met from £0.200m of Sure Start children's centre capital and £0.030 from DfES General Sure Start Grant, both of which need to be spent by 31 March 2006. It is recommended that this project is added to the 2005/06 capital programme at an estimated cost of £0.230m.

Blackfield Primary School

2.19 On 13 July 2005 the Executive Member for Education approved a project to create a 540 place foundation school in the Blackfield Junior School building, at an estimated cost of £1.450m, following a review of provision in the Waterside area. Tenders have now been received for this project.

2.20 Blackfield Infant School currently has a pre-school unit attached to it and consideration was given in the development of the design for the future provision of a pre-school/nursery unit on the primary school site. As previously reported, the opportunity was taken to include in the tender documentation pricing for the early years provision. Additional funding would be required for this work and it was agreed that its inclusion in the project would be considered further when tenders had been returned.

2.21 The lowest tender for the project is set out in Table 2:

Table 2

	£'m
Primary school building	1.443
Early Years development	0.146
Fees	0.119
Total	1.708

2.22 Funding of £1.450m was approved in July, including a contribution of £0.050m from the school. The governing body has indicated that it would be prepared to increase the contribution to contribute towards the cost of the early years facility, which would leave a shortfall of £0.094m, as shown in Table 3 below:

Table 3

	£'m
Capital programme 2005/06	1.375
School's devolved formula capital	0.239
Total funding available	1,614
Shortfall	0.094

2.23 As some of the additional cost is attributable to the primary school works, it is recommended that the shortfall be met as shown in Table 4, which would allow the full project to proceed.

Table 4

	£'m
Capital Programme Early Years Block Vote	0.040
Capital programme contingency	0.054

Minstead Study Centre

2.24 On 13 July 2005 the Executive Member for Education approved additional funding for a project for substantial refurbishment and extension of the Minstead Study Centre. Before the contract is let there are two further funding issues which need to be resolved.

2.25 Firstly, an error in the amount of available New Opportunities Fund contribution has come to light since July, when an unallocated element of NOF funding (£0.050m) was identified as available to support this project. In fact, this sum should have been included in the overall amount of NOF funding for the project (£0.543m) and not stated as a separate amount. The effect of this is that a further contribution of £0.050m is required, which can be met from the capital programme contingency and it is recommended that this allocation is made.

2.26 Secondly, the July report drew attention to the fact that a number of elements included in the project to improve its sustainability were unfunded, pending a possible additional contribution from Minstead Study Centre. This contribution is in turn dependent upon the outcome of a bid to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which was expected to be known at the end of September. DEFRA has now asked for a significant amount of additional information before it will process the bid and a delay can now be expected before the outcome is known. The cost of the sustainable items is £0.062m and in view of the contribution they will make both to the project and to the centre's education offer, it is recommended that they should be funded from the capital programme contingency. If the DEFRA contribution is forthcoming in the future, it would be used to pay back this contribution.

2.27 Costs and revised funding proposals for this project are summarised in Table 5 and it is recommended that additional resources of £0.112m are made available from the contingency to allow this project to proceed.

Table 5

Funding source	£'m
Children's Services capital programme provision	0.490
New Opportunities Fund allocation	0.543
Minstead Study Centre	0.100
New Forest District Council	0.030
Policy and Resources	0.078
Balance to be met from Children's Services capital programme	0.112
Total	1.353

South Baddesley Primary School

2.28 On 13 July 2005, the Executive Member for Education approved the addition to the 2005/06 capital programme of a project to provide a hall at South Baddesley Primary School, at an estimated cost of £0.400m. A larger project is currently under way at the school and as it has developed the need has emerged for an SEN room to be incorporated, as current provision is being displaced and there was insufficient funding to reprovide it. The school has now asked whether an SEN room could be added to the hall building and a design solution has been identified to achieve this, which would cost £0.035m. The school has offered to contribute £0.010m towards the cost and Policy and Resources is able to contribute £0.012m, leaving £0.013m to be found. Given the emphasis which the school places on children with special educational needs, and the relatively low cost of making this provision, it is recommended that an additional contribution of £0.013m is made to the project from the capital programme contingency.

3. Capital programme 2006/07

Wyvern College, Fair Oak, Fair Oak Junior School and Fair Oak Infant School

3.1 These three schools share a campus which, as a result of a number of expansion projects over several years, is now at capacity, resulting in significant congestion and car parking difficulties. As Wyvern College has a number of successful community activities, there are vehicle and pedestrian movements throughout the day, which are at their maximum at the start and end of the school day. Arrangements for segregation of vehicles and pedestrians would benefit from significant changes to the layout of the site entrances and car parking to improve safety and vehicle flow.

3.2 A project to address these issues is currently at an advanced stage of design and is being costed. It is proposed to bring it forward for approval as part of the 2006/07 capital programme, together with a funding strategy, which will include recommended contributions from the schools, Policy and Resources and the Children's Services capital programme provision for health and safety measures.

3.3 A central element of the project involves the demolition of the former caretaker's house at the front of the site. This house is no longer occupied and is not required by Wyvern College as caretaker's accommodation. The house has been the subject of recent vandalism, including an arson attack and it would be prudent to bring the demolition forward in view of the risks of further attacks, which might spread elsewhere on the campus. It is recommended, therefore, that this property is declared surplus to requirements and is demolished as an enabling measure for the main project. The estimated cost of the demolition is £0.010m, which can be shared between the Policy and Resources and Children's Services capital programmes and an allocation of £0.005m from the provision for health and safety is recommended

4 County Council Policy Requirements

4.1 Legal implications - The proposals support the County Council's statutory duty to provide school places and comply with central government accommodation requirements and guidance.

4.2 Financial implications - These are set out in the report.

4.3 Personnel implications - None directly arising from this report.

4.4 Community cohesion, inclusiveness and partnership working - Most of the capital projects proposed in this report support these aims.

4.5 Crime prevention issues - None directly arising from this report.

Recommendations

1. That the following variations to the 2005/06 Children's Services capital programme be approved:

(a) a contribution of £0.020m from the provision for health and safety projects towards the cost of an external works scheme at Alderman Quilley School, Eastleigh;

(b) a contribution of £0.020m from the provision for health and safety projects towards the cost of an external works scheme at Hounsdown School, Totton;

(c) additional resources of £0.171m from developers' contributions towards the cost of additional primary school places in north-east Basingstoke to be reserved for future projects

(d) ;additional resources of £0.330m from Sure Start grant for the Sharps Copse Early Years Centre, Havant to be added to the contingency;

(e) additional resources of £0.100m from Sure Start grant for early years facilities at Park Primary School, Aldershot to be added to the provision for early years permanent buildings;

(f) a contribution of £0.010m towards the cost of playcourt provision at The Connaught School Aldershot from the provision for management of falling rolls;

(g) the addition of a project to provide a Children's Centre at Littlefold, Cowplain, at an estimated cost of £0.230m, to be funded from Sure Start grant;

(h) an additional contribution of £0.094m to the major project at Blackfield Junior School, to be met through £0.040m from the provision for early years facilities and £0.054m from the capital programme contingency;

(i)a contribution of £0.013m from the contingency towards the cost of providing an SEN room at South Baddesley Primary School.

2. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources, the following variations to the 2005/06 Children's Services capital programme be approved:

(a) additional expenditure of £0.082m for the major project at Wherwell Primary School, to be met from the capital programme contingency;

(b) a contribution of £0.300m to the cost of additional accommodation at the Trospacc Early Years and Family Centre, Havant from the provision for early years facilities;


(c) a contribution of £0.112m from the contingency to meet additional costs of the major project at Minstead Study Centre.


3. That the former caretaker's house at Wyvern College, Fair Oak be declared surplus to requirements and demolished in advance of a project to improve site safety and access, with a contribution of £0.005m from the provision for health and safety.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None.