Purpose

The
report highlights the Council’s further investment plans in
the Education portfolio for the 2025/26 financial year.
 
To
support the Council’s corporate priority to ensure the best
start for our children and young people, enabling pupils to thrive
and achieve their educational outcomes through fit for purpose and
high-quality learning environments.
 
The
Council also has a general duty under Section 2 of the Health and
Safety at Work Act 1974 to provide a safe working environment and
hence respond to condition issues, which have health and safety
implications.
 
To
support the achievement of this duty, and to meet any risks in
relation to school conditions and access, the Council is awaiting
the DfE funding announcement but has assumed a similar level of DfE
funding as in 2024/25 and hence has an indicative allocation of
£2.662m for Capital Maintenance for 2025/26.
 

Decision

1)   
That approval to carry out condition and access work
detailed in Appendix A: Proposed Capital Projects, Capital
Maintenance Programme, Table 1, be granted.
 
2)   
That the delegation of authority to the Corporate
Director of Place, in consultation with the Director of Legal and
Governance, to enter into any
procurement exercise and to negotiate and agree the terms of any
contracts and appointments for the relevant contractors and
specialists required to deliver the Capital projects, Capital
Maintenance Programme, and to award such contracts and
appointments, be approved.

Reasons for the decision

To
ensure compliance with the Council’s statutory duties as
highlighted in Section 4 – Legal Position.
 
To
enhance educational facilities in Trafford schools for children and
young people.
 
To
support Trafford’s corporate priority of the best start for
our children and young people, by ensuring that pupils are able to
thrive and achieve their educational outcomes through fit for
purpose and high-quality learning environments. Improving the
fabric of our school buildings also allows us to support another of
Trafford’s corporate priorities, addressing the climate
crisis.
 

Alternative options considered

The implications of not progressing with
the capital maintenance schemes are that there will be health and
safety issues for schools that could potentially close the schools
for a period whilst urgent remedial works are
undertaken.
 
The
Capital Maintenance grant is not ring-fenced and could be used for
other Council priorities; however it works towards meeting the
Council’s Corporate Priorities of “the best start for
our children and young people” and “address the climate
crisis”.