Agenda and minutes

Resolved – That Councillor Fionuala Foley Chair this meeting of the Panel.

Councillor Foley took the Chair.

Introduction

The Chair welcomed the members of the public and the media to the meeting.

The Chair advised the Panel that the press had asked whether they could record proceedings of the Panel and take photographs during the meeting. The Panel confirmed that it had no objection to this. The Chair asked the media to respect the wishes of those members of the public present that had indicated that they did not wish to be photographed or their comments recorded.

The Chair advised those in attendance of the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency requiring the Civic Offices to be evacuated. 

The Chair explained that this was not a meeting of the Cabinet and referred to the distinct role played by the Cabinet Panel. She made it clear that the Cabinet Panel had no pre-determined view on any of the items under consideration and would make its decisions on the evidence before it and on the questions and comments arising at the meeting.

The Chair referred to the process to be adopted at the meeting with Agenda Item 5 (Public Question Time) being expanded and followed by an opportunity for those who had submitted objections or comments to be given up to five minutes to explain their views.  There would be no further opportunity for the public to participate in the meeting after this item other than as observers.

In respect of Agenda Item 6 (Proposal for the Closure of Northview Primary School and the Permanent Expansion of Westrop Primary School), the officers would be asked to present the report, which the Panel would then debate. At the end of the discussions the Panel would withdraw from the meeting to deliberate and formulate its decision. They might ask the Council’s legal advisor to accompany them. The Chair advised that the public in attendance needed to be aware that this could take some time. The Panel would then return to the meeting to make its decision and to give its statement of reasons before moving to the next item.

Members are reminded that at the start of the meeting they should declare any known interests in any matter to be considered, and also during the meeting if it becomes apparent that they have an interest in the matters being discussed.

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.

Councillors Garry Perkins and Keith Williams made personal declarations of interest in respect of Agenda Item 6 (Proposal for the Closure of Northview Primary School and the Permanent Expansion of Westrop Primary School), Agenda Item 7 (The Permanent Expansion of St Francis Church of England Primary School), and Agenda Item 8 (The Addition of an ASD Unit at Greendown School), as they served as school governors to schools in the Borough.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th July 2009.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th July 2009, be confirmed as a correct record.

See explanatory note below.  Please phone the Committee Officer whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.

The following questions were asked in accordance with Standing Order 28.

Questioner

Ms. Pam Adams, Highworth

Question 1 – Have Cabinet Members visited Highworth and the schools involved or had children educated in Highworth?

Question 2 - Can the Panel give me the assurance that, in the event of the proposed Northview School site's closure, the building and grounds will continue to be used as a community facility so that in years to come it would be available for school use in the event of a rise in pupil numbers?

Response

The Chair thanked Ms. Adams for her questions.  In response to the first question she believed that all Cabinet Panel Members had visited Highworth and that four of the Panel Members had also walked between Northview and Westrop Primary Schools to both visit the schools and to see for themselves the distances and highway issues highlighted by the proposals and consultation responses. She asked each Panel Member to comment individually on their personal circumstances regarding children being educated in Highworth.

The Chair explained that, in respect of the second question, she was unable to respond at this time as that would be to prejudge the outcome of the meeting.

Questioner

Mrs. Alison Durrant, Highworth

Question 1 - Would the Panel Members agree with me that the decision they are making this evening in relation to Northview Primary School, Highworth, is an extremely important one which will affect not only parents and pupils currently attending Northview and Westrop schools but the whole community of Highworth in perpetuity and that there has been widespread and overwhelming public opposition to this proposed closure from across the whole community of Highworth and surrounding areas?

Question 2 - Would Panel Members agree with me that the proposals in relation to Northview School have come about because of falling projected pupil numbers across the whole of Highworth, and that while Northview School is currently predicted to have a significant percentage of vacancies compared to the other primary schools this is hardly surprising in view of a. the fact that the school has had no permanent leadership or proactive marketing for a number of years; b the fact (acknowledged by Councillor Perkins) that uncertainty and possibility of closure have been discussed since at least March 2009, causing parents to withdraw their children; c that since statutory consultation re closure was started in May 2009 parents in the Northview catchment area would now be highly unlikely to apply for a place for their child to enter Reception at Northview?

Question 3 - Would Panel Members also agree with me that no evidence has been produced to show that the Highworth birth rate is predicted to fall dramatically in the Northview catchment area compared to the rest of Highworth, that nationally the birth rate is rising, that only a few years ago the vacancy rate at Westrop School was greater than that of Northview and that therefore the issue of predicted falling rolls should be considered for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

The Group Director, Children submitted a report concerning the outcome of the Statutory Representation period on the proposal to close Northview Primary School and expand Westrop Primary School in response to the fall in pupil numbers in Highworth.

The Director of Access and Provision, Mr. Ian Bickerton, outlined the background to the proposal, referred to the outcomes of the pre-statutory and statutory consultation process undertaken by the Council, and highlighted the key aspects of the report and the Statement of Case, which was set out in an Annex circulated with the Agenda papers. Mr. Bickerton advised that 537 objections and 3 letters of support had been received to the proposals. The local authority’s response to the main issues highlighted by objectors was set out in Section 5.1 of the Statement of Case. Financial implications were addressed in a value for money assessment of the proposals contained in Section 4 of the Statement of Case. There were currently 63 pupils on the roll of Northview Primary School.

The Director of Access and Provision explained that one of the key issues raised by many objectors to the proposals related to highway and road safety concerns. In response to such concerns the Council had commissioned external consultants the Halcrow Group Ltd. The consultants had produced a report on the traffic impact in Highworth on the A361 associated with the possible closure of Northview Primary School and the expansion of Westrop School. This report formed part of Section 1 of the Statement of Case.

The Head of Highway Management, Mr. Gwillam Lloyd, referred to the travel and traffic implications highlighted with the Halcrow Report. He explained that the report concluded that after the traffic survey and modelling the indication was that the closure of Northview School would not create a significant change in traffic flows and queues in Highworth. The Report also recommended the development of a design for the introduction of a controlled pedestrian crossing near Crane Furlong, Highworth to assist safe pedestrian flow across the A361.

The Chair thanked the officers for their presentations and hoped that the information contained within the Statement of Case, and particularly within the Halcrow Report, clarified the key issues to be considered, and would help reduce some of the concerns of objectors to the proposals and that had also been highlighted at previous Cabinet meetings when the issue had been considered.

 Councillor Brian Mattock, Cabinet Member for Connecting People, Connecting Places, commented that Councillors recognised that the Cabinet Panel had a difficult decision to make, but that it had received considerable amounts of information to assist it in making that decision from the officers, from the affected schools, and from all those who had contributed to the consultation process, including by way of the comments and questions from the public at tonight’s Panel meeting. It was important that the Panel considered all the factors and implications of the proposals and took a decision that was in the best interests of the local community and for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and the Group Director, Children submitted a joint report concerning a proposal to modify the date of conditions, as set out in the decision to expand St Francis Church of England Primary School (Minute 14 refers).

The Director of Access and Provision, Mr. Ian Bickerton, presented the report and explained that the Cabinet Panel had agreed on 8th July 2009 to approve the proposal to permanently expand St Francis Church of England Primary School by one form of entry. This decision had been subject to the condition that the granting of Planning Permission and agreement with the Developers for the change of use of relevant parts of the land to enable the extension of the current building would be achieved by 31st March 2010. Negotiations with the developer took longer than had been anticipated and agreement was not reached until 31^st December 2009. In view of the impact of this for the programme, it was proposed that a modification be sought to the original date of the condition to a later date of 31^st August 2010 to enable the proposed extension to proceed through the planning process.

The Chair noted that review of the programme had resulted in the date of the proposed modification being brought forward to 31^st August from the 31^st December 2010 date that had been referred to in the report to the meeting.

Resolved – That the conditional date referring to planning permission to be granted in order to permanently expand St Francis Church of England Primary School, Taw Hill, Swindon, be modified from 31^st March 2010 to 31^st August 2010, for the reasons set out in the joint report.

       The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and the Group Director, Children submitted a joint report concerning a proposal to permanently expand Greendown Community School for the addition of provision that is recognised by the Local Authority as reserved for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

       The Director of Schools and Learning, Mr. Paddy Bradley, outlined the background to the proposal which sought to permit the development of a second specialist educational unit for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Swindon. He referred to the outcomes of the pre-statutory and statutory consultation process undertaken by the Council, and highlighted the key aspects of the report and the Statement of Case.

       Councillor Garry Perkins, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services welcomed the proposal to establish Swindon’s second specialist unit at Greendown School, which would have benefits for the pupils concerned, their parents, and for the Council, not least by reducing the need for out of Borough placements. However, what was not welcome was that it was the increasing numbers of children suffering with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, both locally and nationally, which had resulted in the necessity for the unit.

Resolved – That the Cabinet Panel on School Organisation advises that In reaching its decision it has carefully considered the report of the Group Director, Children, the representations of the Director, the representations from the school, and the Department for Children, Schools and Families Decision Makers Guidance for Expanding a Mainstream School.

Before making its decision, and in accordance with the Department for Children, Schools and Families Guidance, the Cabinet Panel has considered the following matters:-

      a.   Was any information missing in order to reach a decision?

            The Cabinet Panel was satisfied that all necessary information was present.

      b    Does the published Notice comply with statutory requirements?

The Cabinet Panel was satisfied that the Notices complied with statutory requirements in the case of the school.

      c.   Has the statutory consultation been carried out prior to the publication of the Notice?

            The Cabinet Panel was satisfied that the necessary statutory consultation had taken place in respect of the school.

      d.   Are the proposals linked or related to other published proposals?

The Cabinet Panel was satisfied that there were no other current published proposals that should be considered at the same time.

The Cabinet Panel's decision on the proposals to permanently expand Greendown Community School, Grange Park Way, Swindon, is as follows:

• The proposals, as set out in the Statutory Notice, attached as Appendix 2 to the report, to permanently expand Greendown School for the addition of provision that is recognised by the Local Authority as reserved for pupils with Special Educational Needs, subject to a modification that the implementation date will be from 1^st September 2010, and subject to planning permission being granted by 31^st August 2010, be approved.

The reasons for the Cabinet Panel's decision to approve the above proposals were as follows:-

A System Shaped by Parents

The Cabinet panel felt that the Local Authority was responding to the Government’s wish to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.