Contact: Bob Eardley, Strategic Planning Manager, 01962 846275;

email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report seeks decision on proposed changes to the Children's Services capital programme and related issues.

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.

2. Introduction

2.1 On 19 January 2006 the Executive Member for Children's Services approved a number of changes to capital programme which require the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources. Details are set out below.

3. Issues relating to the 2005/06 capital programme

Learning and Skills Council allocations for Disability Discrimination Act works

3.1 The Learning and Skills Council has made a grant allocation of £0.476m to the County Council for work to be carried out to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in adult and community learning facilities. The works required have been identified following an access audit.

3.2 It is recommended that DfES grant totalling £0.476m is added to provision for minor works.


Schools' Sustainable Travel Grant allocations

3.3 The DfES has made a second round of capital allocations to a number of schools which have School Travel Plans (STPs) authorised and in place by 23 March 2005. The grant is intended to help schools to support sustainable travel to school and DfES expects the funding to be spent on measures identified in their STPs, such as secure cycle parking, lockers and bus bays. The grant is payable at the following rates:

· Primary schools: £3,750 per school, plus £5 per pupil

· Secondary schools: £5,000 per school, plus £5 per pupil

3.4 Grant is paid as an addition to schools' devolved capital and the amount allocated to Hampshire in 2005/06 is £0.358m and it is recommended that this sum is added to resources for schools' devolved capital allocations for 2005/06.

Rowner Youth Service facility

3.5 A project has been developed to provide a new stand-alone youth facility on the Rowner Estate, Gosport. The building will be sited on the Siskin Infant and Junior School site and its provision reflects the high priority given by the local community to the need for youth facilities in this area of high social deprivation.

3.6 The estimated cost of the project is £0.400m. Funding of £0.150m from Single Regeneration Board (SRB) Grant and £0.150m from Policy and Resources is in place, leaving a shortfall of £0.100m. The DfES has recently announced capital allocations of £0.392m in 2006/07 and 2007/08 through a new Youth Capital Fund, which is intended to contribute to the funding of projects such as that proposed for Rowner. This funding will not be available until April 2006, but the project needs to proceed quickly to avoid the loss of SRB Grant. To enable it to proceed, therefore, a contribution of £0.100m is proposed from the 2005/06 capital programme contingency, with compensating resources from the Youth Capital Fund in 2006/07.

Specialist schools

3.7 Notifications have been received recently of capital allocations for 11 schools which have been awarded specialist schools status. These are listed in Table 1. The allocation to each school is £0.100m.

Table 1

School	Specialism
Calthorpe Park, Fleet	Mathematics and computing
Cams Hill, Fareham	Science
Cowplain Community School	Business and enterprise
Crofton, Stubbington	Science
Fernhill, Farnborough	Languages
Mill Chase Community Technology College, Bordon	Technology
Portchester Community	Arts
Testbourne Community, Whitchurch	Arts
The Hayling College	Mathematics and computing
Warblington, Havant	Science
Winton, Andover	Technology

3.8 It is recommended that resources of £1.100m are added to the 2005/06 capital programme as a result of these allocations.

4. Henry Tyndale School, Farnborough

4.1 This school caters for pupils aged 2-19 with complex learning difficulties. The school's current "house in the community" for post-16 pupils is a three bedroom semi-detached house in Fleet. The accommodation is no longer appropriate to cater for those pupils who have a significant level of physical disability. A feasibility study has been undertaken to see whether the property could be extended, but that would not be cost-effective and little improvement could be achieved. Options for replacement accommodation have been considered with the school and the best approach would be to provide a facility on the school site, as this would provide the required type and size of rooms needed. A detailed feasibility study has been undertaken and includes an additional specialist teaching space to cater for rising numbers on roll.

4.2 The scheme is estimated to cost £0.755m. The school has agreed to contribute a significant amount of devolved capital to the project; this, together with the capital receipt from the sale of the existing post-16 accommodation, will provide an estimated £0.401m and the balance of £0.354m will be met from the Children's Services capital programme. Prudential borrowing approval will be required to cover the anticipated capital receipt and approval will be sought in advance of the contract being let.

4.3 The current accommodation, "Coppers", 15 Reading Road South, Fleet was declared surplus by the Executive Member for Children's Services on 19 January 2006 and approval is now sought for the full amount of the capital receipt to be re-invested in this project.

5. Temporary buildings

Sopley Primary School

5.1 Sopley Primary school has one adult toilet which is also the accessible toilet with specialist lifting equipment installed that until now has been used by all members of staff. However, there are now two disabled people who use this facility who need to take priority use of the toilet, which has meant that with a total of 27 members of staff new facilities are required. Owing to the urgent need for this unit, it was placed on site at the beginning of December and retrospective approval is now sought.

6. County Council Policy Requirements

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

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

6.3 Personnel implications - None directly arising from this report.

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

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

Recommendations

1. That the Executive Member for Policy and Resources approves:

(a) the following variations to the 2005/06 capital programme:

i) the addition of resources of £1.100m to the provision for minor works for specialist schools, funded from additional Government grant;

ii) the addition of resources totalling £0.476m for works under the Disability Discrimination Act at schools providing community and adult education, funded from additional Government grant;

iii) the addition of resources totalling £0.358m for schools' devolved capital in respect of Sustainable Travel Grant allocations, funded from additional Government grant;

iv) an allocation of £0.100m as a contribution to the costs of a new Youth Service facility at Rowner, Gosport, from the capital programme contingency.

(b) that up to 100% of the capital receipt from the sale of "Coppers", 15 Reading Road South, Fleet be used to contribute to the cost of providing a post-16 unit at Henry Tyndale School, Farnborough;

(c) that placement of a temporary toilet at Sopley Primary School be approved until 31 January 2010.

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.