Transcript

To this morning's meeting, decision-making meeting for me, Claire Curran, the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning. First item on the agenda for declarations of interest, I can confirm that I have no declarations which I need to make in relation to the matters on the agenda today. Item two, in terms of the procedural matters, there are no member questions and no members of the public have submitted questions this morning and I have no petitions to be presented. So I'm pleased to move then to the substantive item on today's agenda where my approval is being sought for the use of £29.49 million from the approved SEND capital budget which totals £109 million between 2025 and 2029. And this amount of money is to meet the final confirmed costs for Hope's Court School in Walton-on-Thames and its all-committed fund SEND capital programme. The figure of £29.49 million represents a £3.2 million increase in the project budget which was of £26.25, which has been approved by the Council's Cabinet last year in 25th June 2024. And the increase has been driven by the prolongation, inflationary increases and the necessary extension of arrangements at the Hope's Court School temporary site in West Molsey and this increased the costs to concluding the delivery of the project. So I am being asked to agree to secure a total of £29.49 million to start school from September this year in 2025 and for the school's new permanent facilities to be available for use from SEND. And the additional costs are going to be managed through alternative solutions in other projects which are affordable within our approved budget allocation for the SEND capital programme and without having to reduce the overall programme scope which will increase the estate overall. So the capital investment is for Hope's Court School's construction project and we have a viable scheme, the location, planning approval in place, costs and legal agreements signed and confirmed. And I'm a compass leading on this project. Is there anything James that you'd like to say particularly about the schemes, the approvals and the internal processes for this project? Thank you Cabinet Member. So the information is set out in detail within the Cabinet report and supporting documents. I would draw attention to the financial and money ramifications section of the Cabinet report which sets out the capital cost profile and the repayment period for the next five years. I would emphasise that that has been to the Capital Programme Panel for endorsement on the financial business case as being considered by all the financial teams and land and property experts. What it does demonstrate is that equivalent costs in independent sector school 200 places would be in £10.6 million per year. So that the payback period of five years you could still, it does demonstrate that the cost containment demonstrated through this project is significantly higher than the cost of borrowing over that period. So yeah, the full details as explained I'll set out in those annexes. Thank you James. I'd like to thank officers for a very clear comprehensive paper that accompanies today's meeting and I was really appreciative of all the detail that's in there. Thank you. I know that the school's permanent facilities have been procured through the Southern Construction Framework and is going to be under construction by Wilmot Dixon, the leading contractor. And there will be 200 pupils and autistic pupils when the school is at its full capacity by 2029. I know that the contractors have started on site in Walton on Thames. They've been working there since October, the steel signing ceremony on site quite recently and joined by a group from Hopes Court pupils. It was a really joyful occasion. And as you say James, investing in this capital project for Hopes Court School is going to generate a really positive impact for the children who attend that school at this council in financial terms. For any parents watching, I'd reassure them that Hopes Court School is going to continue to use in 2026. And as I said earlier, we're able to confirm that for 2025 in September, the new school year, there are 22 in the school at West Molesley. And in order to be able to accommodate them, we're extending the existing facilities. And that's being done until the permanent school building opens. So the recommendation is for me as cabinet member to agree the use of £109.86 million. And that is to be used for the confirmed final costs for Hopes Court School, Walton on Thames. And I'm pleased so to approve. So that concludes today's business and I'm happy to close the meeting at 11.30. So.