The Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation meeting on Friday 4 September 2026 approved a funding agreement for Faringdon Community College and confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting. The primary focus of the meeting was the approval of a significant funding agreement to support the construction of new teaching accommodation at Faringdon Community College.

Funding Agreement with Cambrian Learning Trust for Faringdon Community College

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, Councillor Dan Levy, approved the entering into a Funding Agreement with Cambrian Learning Trust (CLT). This agreement will provide a maximum funding contribution of £7.00m to enable CLT to procure the construction of new teaching accommodation at Faringdon Community College. The project aims to replace four temporary buildings, which are no longer fit for purpose, with permanent teaching facilities.

The project budget has increased from an initial estimate of £6.100m to £7.362m. This increase is attributed to several factors, including higher construction costs for preliminaries, mechanical and electrical components, and external works, which now incorporate Biodiversity Net Gain requirements. The additional funding will be met through Section 106 (S106) contributions¹, which are funds collected by the council from developers to mitigate the impact of new developments.

A key aspect of the decision was the approval to forward fund £1.301m of secured S106 funding. This measure is intended to allow CLT to deliver the entire project under a single contract, which is considered a more cost-effective approach. Without this forward funding, CLT might have to proceed in phases, potentially leading to increased costs for the second phase as funding is received over time. The report highlighted that the project is fully funded by S106 contributions, with £6.061m already received and a further £1.301m secured.

The new accommodation will consist of two separate teaching blocks and associated external works. One block will be a two-storey building with seven classrooms, group rooms, and offices, while the other will be a student centre with work rooms, staff meeting rooms, and offices. The external works include a new parking layout and landscaping. The project also incorporates sustainability measures, such as air source heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) panels, and electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

The decision was made by Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation. The decision will become effective on 9 September 2026, unless called in by the appropriate Scrutiny Committee.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 3 July 2026 were approved and confirmed as a correct record.