Decision details

Following consideration of previous Cabinet reports in relation to the development of the new Radcliffe Secondary School, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People presented a further report to update Members on the relocation of the Spring Lane School.

The Cabinet Member reported that a number of options were considered to accommodate the needs of Spring Lane School and the focus more recently has been on the use of Council owned premises.  This has resulted in the identification of the New Kershaw Centre (NKC) as a viable proposition.  The NKC currently accommodates a number of Children’s Services teams, including a number of social care services, a base for care leavers, and the youth service.

It is anticipated that existing services will be relocated on w/c 8^th of January 2024, to other Council owned premises, with the majority of those services being accommodated in 6 Knowsley Place and the Town Hall.

The Leader detailed design work is on-going in respect of the necessary adaptations to the NKC and Park House to facilitate movement of the PRU early next year. This design activity is progressing alongside required planning/design of adaptations to 6 Knowsley Place and the Bury Town Hall to facilitate the move of staff from the Children and Young People’s directorate currently operating from NKC.

A high-level cost plan has been developed for delivery of the NKC/Park House project and this also includes provisional (estimated) sums for associated construction and design activity for adaptations to 6KP and the Bury Town Hall.  The cost plan will evolve as the design is developed.  At present the total cost of project activity is estimated at £1,758,000 which covers the initial phase of works. Further phases of work will be subject to a separate report.

The project will be overseen by BGI officers and will report to the Council’s Regeneration Board for project assurance/oversight.

Given the need to invest in this interim solution, and the inability to deliver the scheme at Spurr House on time, it is no longer proposed to proceed with the adaptations to Spurr House and this project is now closed. Instead, an options appraisal exercise will be commissioned through BGI, to consider the future accommodation needs of the Pupil Referral Unit, and how they might be met.

Before inviting questions from those present, the Leader apologised for the lateness of this report and also the home to school transport policy. 

Councillors Smith and Bernstein, raised concerns in relation to; preparedness, procurement, ability to secure labour and finance comments contained within the first iteration of the report shared with Members of the Cabinet.

Responding firstly, the Chief Executive Officer reported that, she can provide full assurance that the financing of this project has been considered at the Regeneration Board and is provided for in the Capital Programme. 

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People acknowledged concerns that the Members have raised but she has full confidence that the Council can deliver on the programme as outlined in the report.

Recommendation(s)

To approve the plans to develop the New Kershaw Centre to accommodate the needs of Spring Lane School

To approve expenditure of £1,758,000 from the Children’s Services Capital Programme to meet initial costs of adaptations to the New Kershaw Centre, Park House and associated adaptions to facilitate transfer of Children’s staff currently operating in NKC.

To note plans to relocate a number of Children’s Services teams from the New Kershaw Centre, Park House and associated adaptations to facilitate transfer of Children’s Services staff currently operating in NKC to the Town Hall and 6 Knowsley Place.

Reasons for recommendation(s)

The use of the New Kershaw Centre by Spring Lane School will enable vacant possession of the Spring Lane site to be provided to the DfE. This will negate the need for the payment of a financial penalty by the Council and enable construction of the new secondary school to proceed.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The Council looked at a number of options to provide an interim solution to accommodate Spring Lane School. This included use of other Council owned property, and the use of modular accommodation.

No other Council owned property could meet the needs of the school within the available timescale. Availability and cost of modular accommodations has been impacted by supply pressures nationally, linked to RAAC, meaning that use of modulars is no longer a viable option.