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.

Trospacc Early Years and Family Centre, Havant

2.3 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. 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.

2.4 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.

2.5 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

2.6 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.

Minstead Study Centre

2.7 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.

2.8 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.

2.9 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.

2.10 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 2

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

3 County Council Policy Requirements

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

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

3.3 Personnel implications - None directly arising from this report.

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

3.5 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) 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;


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




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.