Purpose

Cabinet to approve the Schools Capital
Programme, give approval to spend the capital budget, agree to
proceed to delivery and delegate authority for the award contracts
for the works, services and goods.

Decision

DECISION: The Cabinet agreed to:
 

Approve the spend of
£15.5m from the schools’ 2025/26 Capital Budget as
detailed in restricted Appendix A (subject to Cabinet approval of
revised Capital Budget in 2024/25 Revenue and Capital outturn
report KD5900).
Approve the strategic
objectives as set out in this report.
Approve the
commencement the delivery of projects detailed in restricted
appendix ‘A’ to allow tenders to be pursued in
compliance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.
Note that the
£15.5m schools’ Capital Budget includes a £1m
contingency budget for urgent works and / or new schemes not yet
identified as priority works.
Note that the 2025/26
capital programme is funded from DfE capital grant, ringfenced
capital receipts and other grants as detailed in the report.
Delegate authority to
Executive Director of People to:

A) Approve the
award of works and services contracts up to the value of £5m
including professional and technical expenses as detailed in
Restricted Appendix ‘A’ and those projects added to the
programme as below.
B) Add and omit
projects to the programme from the approved contingency budget
subject to the total spend being contained within the approved
£15.5m or in the case of additional funding being approved as
VIII below, to add additional projects to the revised value of the
programme.

Delegate authority to
the Lead Member for Children’s Services to Approve the award
of works and services contracts over the value of £5m
including professional and technical expenses as detailed in
Restricted Appendix ‘A’.

VIII.        
Delegate authority to the Executive Director of People in
consultation with the Executive Director Resources to accept any
additional in year funding that is secured, to add this to the
Schools Capital Programme and increase the total approved budget
accordingly.

 
IX.        
Note and authorise applications to the Department for Education
(DfE) for Secretary of State consent in respect of any disposal or
repurposing of the vacant education buildings and land including
caretakers/site managers properties.

   
X.        
Note Cabinet’s previous approval (KD 5373) of the approach in
relation to the disposal or repurposing of the vacant caretaker
properties, allocating income generated to support the delivery of
SEN provision as a strategic priority as well as undertaking works
at each individual school.

Note that an update
report will be presented to Cabinet in the autumn to report on
progress and on any central government policy and/or funding
changes which may impact on future project development, delivery
and our strategic objectives.