Purpose

Requesting additional funding from the basic
need allocation for the expansion of King David to support the LA's
sufficiency responsibilites

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the
Corporate Director has decided to:
1)   
Allocate £242,864.51 of additional Basic Need Grant towards
the works required to create 50 additional places at King David
High School due to requirements necessary to allow the works to
proceed arising from the planning application and approval
processes and a health and safety audit.
2)   
Agree and enter into a deed of variation to the original grant
agreement with King David High School to record the terms of
allocation of £242,864.51 of additional Basic Need Grant and
to reflect a proportionate increase to the 25% contingency made
available under the original grant agreement to accommodate
variances.

Alternative options considered

1.1         
Do nothing.  This is not an
option.  The upgrades to the existing
netball court are a condition of the planning approval and the
expansion project cannot go ahead without the work.
1.2         
Request that the school contribute a further £40,217 to fund
the additional staircase or remove it from project
scope.  The outcome of the tender
process indicated the cost of the staircase would exceed the
school’s available budget and the staircase would need to
exclude from the project entirely. 
However, this raised health and safety concerns in relation to
circulation and evacuation capacity at peak times.  It also risked undermining the ability of the
school to safely accommodate the additional pupils resulting from
the increased PAN.
1.3         
The independent health and safety audit confirmed the staircase as
a necessary requirement directly linked to the authority-led
expansion.  Therefore, these
alternatives were discounted in favour of full local authority
funding from the Basic Need Grant.