Issue - meetings

Report from the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.

Councillor L Smith, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People presented the Part B report Millwood Special School. The report set out the full financial details.

Decision:

Cabinet:

·         approved the indicative budget and provisional works programme with an anticipated 12 month build scheme and targeted completion of September 2026.

·         approved the seeking of competitive tenders for the works, subject to a further report being brought back to a future Cabinet meeting for approval of the tender sum and contract award to the preferred contractor.

Reasons for recommendations:

·         As set out in Part A

Alternative options considered:

·         As set out in Part A

Report from the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.

Councillor L Smith, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People presented the report to Cabinet with a full explanation of the latest position, details of the provisional programme including estimated budget costs and sought approval to go out to tender for the construction of the new wing extension, roofing remedial and other outstanding defects scheme.

The report is issued without finalised figures as these will not be available until after the tenders have been returned. They will then be reviewed internally and validated by independent Quantity Surveyors. Provided that the tender figures can be recommended, an updated report will then be issued for Cabinet approval.

Decision:

Cabinet:

·         approved the indicative budget and provisional works programme with an anticipated 12 month build scheme and targeted completion of September 2026.

·         approved the seeking of competitive tenders for the works, subject to a further report being brought back to a future Cabinet meeting for approval of the tender sum and contract award to the preferred contractor.

Reasons for recommendations:

·         Approval to proceed to tender is required for the Millwood scheme to progress. The scheme will include a new build extension it will also address the roofing remedial works/other defects that are unfinished due to the original contractors going into Administration in September 2024.

·         Development of additional capacity at Millwood Primary Special School, as set out in the Project Safety Valve agreement between the Council and the Department for Education, is a key element of the specialist place sufficiency strategy. Taken together, the Agreement and strategy set out the business case for the development of new provision and expansion of existing specialist provision to meet increasing demand within Bury and reduce the reliance on placements in Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools (INMSS). The extension scheme at Millwood Primary Special School is a priority within this strategy.

Alternative options considered:

·         Do nothing. If we don't proceed with the extension this would mean pupils being sent to out of borough provisions which would be at a large cost to the council We must address the roofing remedial works/other defects as a priority as the original contractors only re-roofed approximately half of the school roofs. The roof is deteriorating and needs to be replaced as soon as practically possible.