Content

RESOLVED:
 

That Cabinet approves the strategy and total
Capital Funding approved by Full Council budget setting in February
2025 reflected as a total of £91.6m budget in the Medium-Term
Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the Council’s School Basic Need
Capital Programme for 2025/26 to 2027/28, as identified in Part
2 of this report.
That Cabinet notes the impact of
increased construction costs, enabling committed and planned
schools’ projects to be delivered with the approved budget
allocation for Schools Basic Need.
That Cabinet notes the
reconciliation of Department for Education (DfE) School Basic Need
Grant allocation offset of £10.9m from Transport Development
Planning-held Section 106 sums against the programme.
That Cabinet approves the delegation
of authority to allocate resources from the approved School Basic
Need budget required for individual projects to the Cabinet Member
for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, following Capital
Property Panel’s (CPP) financial scrutiny and endorsement.
This is in line with Full Council approved amended Financial
Regulations.
That Cabinet approves the delegation
of authority to approve budget variations required for individual
projects +/-10% to Capital Programme Panel only and budget
variations over 10% to the s.151 Officer, Executive Director and
Cabinet Member of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning.
That Cabinet approves delegated
authority to the Director or Assistant Director(s) of Land &
Property to authorise the Council to enter into all associated
licences and agreements required to facilitate the capital
works.

 
Reason for
Decisions:
 
The paper outlines the strategy for the provision
of additional mainstream school places within the Mid Term
Financial Strategy 2025/26 for school basic need. This takes
account of the latest cost estimates and forecast needs for pupil
places.
 
This paper reconciles the Basic
Need grant, and third-party contributions spend to date, as at year
end 2024/25, and the next five-year projected capital spend
for education project delivery.
 
The recommendations update the financial
delegations and authorities required to support the agile nature of
the programme and ability to maintain delivery momentum, whilst
maintaining sufficient financial scrutiny and accountability.
 
(The decisions on
this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong
Learning & Culture Select Committee)