Purpose

The purpose of the report is to approve and allocate additional capital funding from the Basic Need Grant allocation to support building improvement works at Millbrook Primary, and Westvale Primary schools to accommodate additional pupils.

The council has a statutory duty to provide good quality educational places within the borough. The council have undertaken a sufficiency study and identified schools where additional places can be delivered to meet current pressures.

The Basic Need Capital grant is made available to Knowsley to support with the capital investment required to provide new school places through the expansion of existing schools or academies.

The proposed capital investment would create additional school places in the most cost-effective way.

Decision

To approve the additional allocation of Basic Need capital grant to (Millbrook Primary, Westvale Primary, to deliver improvement works to support the sufficiency of school places.

Alternative options considered

To not support the development of these schemes would have a detrimental impact on the Council’s ability to provide a sufficiency of primary and secondary school places.

Alternative options have been considered, however those presented in the report are deemed to be the most cost effective and deliverable.