The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel met on Monday 20 October 2025 to discuss several key issues, including the future of County Hall, the sufficiency of secondary school places in Worcester, and the panel's work programme for the coming year. The panel was also scheduled to receive updates on the council's budget and performance. The meeting was scheduled to take place at Wychavon District Council, Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, WR10 1PT.

County Hall and Worcester City Secondary Education Sufficiency

The panel was scheduled to discuss recommendations regarding the disposal of the County Hall site and the sufficiency of secondary education places in Worcester City. The report pack included draft reports to the cabinet concerning these issues, which were scheduled to be considered by the cabinet on 23 October 2025.

Regarding County Hall, the report pack noted that a feasibility study did not identify a viable option for using the site for education. The report pack stated that the cabinet was to be asked to authorise the disposal of the site, with the exception of land retained for car parking required during the council's occupation of Wildwood Offices.

The report pack stated that the report on secondary education place planning detailed options to meet the council's duty to provide sufficient mainstream secondary school places for young people living and/or attending Worcester City primary schools from September 2029 to 2035. The report pack noted that the cabinet was to be asked to agree to stop further work on a project to deliver a new secondary school on the Newtown Road site in Worcester, and to remove funding from the capital programme, resulting in a reduction of borrowing of £33.6 million. The report pack stated that the cabinet was to be asked to note that the option to expand Bishop Perowne CofE College, Worcester by 1 form entry[^2] for September 2029 would be managed through the council's processes, and to approve continued work to investigate capacity and expansion options at existing secondary schools. The report pack stated that the cabinet was to be asked to note that once alternative sufficiency options have been identified, a request may be made to the Department for Education (DfE) to withdraw or cancel the new secondary school presumption proposal.

The report pack included a feasibility report that assessed the viability of using the County Hall site for educational purposes. The report considered options such as a new secondary school, a satellite site for Nunnery Wood High School, and a special educational needs (SEN) school. The report pack stated that the study established capacity and feasibility only, and did not include detailed architectural, structural or services design.

The report pack stated that the study considered constraints such as the developable area, the 50m offset from ancient woodland, and the presence of RAAC panels in the existing roof. The report pack stated that the study considered the possibility of demolishing the existing record store and boiler house, and providing a new public footpath outside of the school's secure boundary. The report pack stated that the study considered using the existing eastern access point onto the County Hall site to access the council car park and the new school, and the existing southern access point to access any new residential properties.

The report pack stated that the study considered the possibility of a satellite upper school for Nunnery Wood, but that after further review, Nunnery Wood deemed the distance between sites too great to allow for a split site school with any sharing of facilities.

The report pack stated that the study considered the possibility of a 2 form entry expansion to Nunnery Wood, and some changes on the neighbouring Worcester Sixth Form College site to alleviate concerns for an expansion at Nunnery Wood. The report pack stated that the study considered an extension to the existing road into the Sixth Form site, which would then connect through to the Nunnery site, and a large 2 storey teaching block built on the existing sports centre car park, with the car park relocated on the field adjacent to the sports centre.

The report pack stated that the study considered the possibility of a new 4 form entry secondary school using the County Hall building, but that the building is too large for a secondary school provision, and the proposal looks at a natural break in the existing building layout, then demolishing 11,370 sq.m not required.

The report pack stated that the study considered the possibility of a new SEN school, and that the school area is outside of the line of the RAAC demolition, so not dependant on this.

The report pack stated that the study considered the possibility of a SEN school at The Chase Annex, but that the site is only 10,650 sq.m, so not large enough to provide formal team games, and that the building fabric may require significant upgrades to ensure suitability.

The report pack included a Joint Impact Assessment screening, which identified that further impact analysis would be required in respect of equality and public health, and environmental sustainability. The report pack included a full Equality and Public Health Impact Assessment, which identified potential negative impacts for age, disability, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion and belief, and sex, and also identified potential negative impact for vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, health inequalities, social and economic, physical health, and access to services. The report pack included a full Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment, which identified potential negative impact relating to a likely increase in the number of pupils travelling further for their secondary education, which may increase greenhouse gas emissions, consumption of fuels both for transport and at schools, increase waste as more pupils and staff are on roll at schools, and there may be negative impact on the natural environment as a result of physical adaptations required at individual schools to create the additional places.

Performance and Budget Monitoring

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on performance and financial information for services relating to Corporate Services and Communities. The report pack included a dashboard of performance information relating to Quarter 1 (April to June 2025), covering indicators from the directorate level scorecard. The report pack also included budget monitoring information for Period 3 (Quarter 1), including a summary of reserves.

The report pack stated that the forecast year end position for central services is an underspend of £0.3 million, and that the forecast underspend for Finance, Commercial & Performance is predominantly due to holding several vacant posts. The report pack stated that the overall £43.7 million net corporate budget is forecast to be underspent by £14.2 million, mainly due to increased income on investments, delayed borrowing requirements, and a forecast underspend of the corporate contingency. The report pack stated that the forecast for Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is an overspend of £86.2 million in 2025/26, with a forecast deficit by 31 March 2026 of £184.4 million.

Refresh of the Scrutiny Work Programme 2025/26

The panel was scheduled to consider suggestions for its 2025/26 Work Programme before it is submitted to the council for approval. The report pack included a draft work programme and asked members to consider and prioritise it, using agreed scrutiny feasibility criteria. The report pack noted that the Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel is responsible for scrutiny of commissioning, contracts and commerce, transformation, finance, localism and communities, and organisation and employees.

The report pack listed possible future items for scrutiny, including:

• Worcestershire's Volunteers
• Libraries Update
• Communication Policies for Social Media
• Revised Workforce Strategy - to include Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
• Review of Museums, Arts and Culture Strategy 2023/24
• Household Support Fund
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Review of Members' Case Management System on Member Portal
• Implementation of Archives and Archaeology Strategy
• Responding to Legislative Changes in Registration Services

The report pack also listed standing items for scrutiny, including budget scrutiny, refresh of the scrutiny work programme, an annual update on the council's energy purchasing arrangement, Worcestershire Councillors' Divisional Fund, and performance monitoring of comments, compliments and complaints.