Issue - meetings

[Report of the Assistant Director for Economic Development  and Growth. To be introduced  by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources.

The report will set out the details relating to the disposal of the PDC to the Education Funding Agency.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources introduced the report which set out the terms of the disposal of the PDC on a 125 long lease for the purpose of refurbishing the building and site to provide ‘The Grove’ a special school for children with autism spectrum disorders.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources put forward an amendment to point 4 of the heads of terms, to note that the lease be granted to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) instead of the Heartlands Community Trust. This was due to the levels of funding that will be required to refurbish the building from the ESFA with DCLG requiring greater control and responsibility through leasing the site from the Council. The refurbished building would then be sublet to the Heartlands Community Trust who will occupy and run the school.

In response to a question, the change of name on the lease had no impact on the Heads of Terms agreed with the ESFA and the arrangements with the Heartlands Community Trust to set up the school. The change supports the arrangements in place to take forward the refurbishment of the building and set up the school.

RESOLVED

1.    To agree that the PDC is declared surplus to requirement and vacated and;

2.    That the PDC to be disposed of to the DCLG for the purpose of setting up special school for children with autism spectrum disorder. That the disposal be by way of a long leasehold interest for a term of 125 years at a premium set out in Part B of this report and based on the Heads of Terms set out in Part B of this report.

Reasons for decision

Currently the Professional Development Centre building is part vacant and not fully utilised and does not offer appropriate accommodation in line with the Council’s future accommodation strategy.

The disposal will provide a new school, ‘The Grove’ Heartlands Community Trust which will provide up to 104 spaces for children with autism spectrum disorders in the Borough. The current occupiers will be relocated within existing Council buildings or alternative accommodation.

Alternative options considered

The alternative is to not dispose of the site. However, this will mean that the Borough will continue to send children with autism spectrum disorders out of Borough or to a more expensive provider, with a resulting continued unsustainable pressure on the Council’s high needs block budget, which funds education services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Another alternative is to lease part of the site to the EFA. This has been explored by the EFA on the basis of refurbishment or a wholesale redevelopment. The refurbishment of part would not provide sufficient space for the school and although the building is not listed demolishing the building would mean the loss of a building with significant architectural merit.