Agenda item

To receive a report from the Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services and the Chief Education Officer providing a strategy and solution to the rising need in school places for the Autistic Spectrum Disorder cohort of pupils within the Borough.        (Report No.154)

(Key decision number 4209)

Please note Report No. 156 on the Part 2 agenda also refers.

Members are asked to note:

·             The attached report is due to be considered by Cabinet on the 20January 2016.  Subject to Cabinet approval of the recommendations, Council is being asked to formally approve the addition of funds to the Capital Programme (as detailed within the Part 2 report) for the various elements of the scheme.

·             The decision made by Cabinet on 20 January 2016 will be reported to Council on the update sheet tabled at the meeting.

Councillor Orhan moved and Councillor Stafford seconded the report (No.154) from the Director of Finance Resources and Customer Services and the Chief Education Officer setting out a strategy and solution to the rising need in school places for the Autistic Spectrum Disorder cohort of pupils within the borough.

NOTED

1.            That the report had been considered and approved by Cabinet on 20 January 2016.

2.            As a result of 1. above, Council was being asked to approve the recommended addition of funds to the Council’s Capital Programme (detailed within the accompanying Part 2 & Super Part 2 report) relating to the acquisition of land and associated feasibility works.  Final confirmation of any decision would be subject to consideration of Report No.156 on the Part 2 & Super Part 2 report (Min.130 refers).

3.            The opportunity provided to address the needs of the increasing number of pupils with autism across the borough and acquire a much needed resource that would not only provide additional school places but also allow them to remain in the borough, thus reducing the reliance on more costly out of borough placements.  The proposal would also enable the Council to obtain a freehold interest in the former Minchenden School site with it being estimated that the associated costs could be recouped within a 5-6 year period.

4.            The increasing demand for school places for people with autism which the Council had a statutory responsibility to meet.

5.            The thanks offered by the Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection to officers for their efforts in delivering the increase in provision of both mainstream and special needs school places across the borough and to parents, carers and the Autism Society for their ongoing support in development and delivery of the Special Educational Needs Strategy.

6.            Whilst congratulating the Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection for the efforts being made to address the increasing demand for Special Educational Need provision across the borough, the Opposition Group highlighted specific concerns regarding the proposals in relation to:

a.         the financial implications in relating to funding of the wider elements of the scheme; and

b.         the potential impact of any associated housing development on the surrounding area.

It was pointed out that the decision made by Cabinet was subject to a call-in from the Opposition Group in order to provide further opportunity to scrutinise the detailed proposals particularly as they related to the funding and proposals for redevelopment of the wider council assets in the Southgate Circus area.

Following a short debate Council was then asked to consider the recommendations made by Cabinet.

AGREED

(1)       To note the decision made by Cabinet in relation to the report on 20 January 2016.

(2)       Subject to consideration and confirmation of the figures detailed within the Part 2 and Super Part 2 report, to approve the following recommendations made to Council in relation to the capital funding of the scheme:

(a)          The addition of the total acquisition budget to the Capital Programme

(b)         The addition of funds to the Capital Programme for the acquisition of land at the Minchenden site;

(c)          The addition of funds to the Capital Programme for the additional feasibility work to the Farbey Building, the Mews Building and part of Leigh Hunt Drive Car Park for the Minchenden ASD provision; and

(d)          The addition of funds to the Capital Programme to carry out the detailed feasibility of associated Council assets, as shown in Appendix 2 of the Part 2 report.

In view of the concerns highlighted by the Opposition Group, the decision in relation to 2 (c) and (d) above were subject to a vote, with the following result:

For: 36

Against: 19

Abstentions: 0

Please note the decision in relation to the accompanying Part 2 item was subject to a separate vote (Min.130 refers).