Agenda and minutes

- to receive minutes

The minutes of a previous meeting held on 8^th March, 2005 were agreed as a correct record.

- to receive minutes

Resolved:-  That the minutes of a meeting of Rotherham Cultural Consortium held on 16^th February, 2005 be received.

- to receive minutes

Resolved:-  That the minutes of a meeting of the Education of Looked After Children held on 28^th February, 2005 be received.

- to receive minutes

The minutes of a meeting of the Children and Young People’s Sub-Group held on 28^th February, 2005 were received.

- to receive minutes

Resolved:-  That the minutes of a meeting of the Leisure/Joint Service Centre Project Board held on 4^th March, 2005 be received.

- to provide a Project update up to Spring Term 2005

Consideration was given to a report of the Strategic Leader Resources and Information which gave a Project Update on the Schools PFI Project for the Spring Term 2005.

The contract includes the rebuilding/refurbishment of 15 schools and their facilities management for a period of 30 years from 1^st April, 2004.

By December 2006, there will be new schools for Coleridge, Ferham, Kimberworth, Maltby Crags Infant, Maltby Crags Junior, Meadowhall and Thornhill Primaries; and Winterhill, Wingfield and Wath Secondaries.

Additionally, new key Young Persons’ Centres will be provided at Thornhill Primary and Wath Secondary;  and significantly refurbished centres at Wingfield, Clifton, Thrybergh and WinterhillSecondary schools.

Progress continues with the project as significant handovers of 3 schools will happen over Easter.   Pupils at Wath Comprehensive, A Language College and Maltby Crags Junior and Infant Schools will enjoy superb learning environments in their new schools after Easter.

Good progress continues to be made at Clifton (Middle Lane site) and Wingfield.  Both schools will be completed for September 2005, when the project will have 6 of the 15 schools fully operational. 

In addition, other live sites at Wickersley, Thrybergh and Winterhill are making good progress on timetable.

It is a significant period in the project with both completions of schools, and design development of those projects still to start their building programme.  This applies to Kimberworth Infant, Meadowhall Junior, Coleridge, Clifton Upper, East Dene and Wath Central.  Plans are being drawn up to incorporate Childrens Centre/Multi Service Centres in the developments at both Coleridge/Clifton Upper and Kimberworth Infant.  These will become exciting campus developments, meeting the expectations in Every Child Matters.

Improvements continue to be made in the arrangements for facilities management.

Building Learning Communities Limited is now incorporated and has responsibility for community provision, including the arrangements for lettings.  It is hoped that the company through a newly appointed General Manager can take full responsibility by September 2005.

Resolved:-  That the progress on the Schools PFI Project be noted.

- to consider a proposal to make a prescribed alteration to the age range at Listerdale J & I School

Consideration was given to a report of the School Organisation, Planning and Development Manager which gave details of a proposal to make prescribed alteration to the age range at Listerdale Junior and Infant School.

Listerdale Junior and Infant School is currently a 4-11 age range school.  It is proposed that internal adaptations are carried out in order to make accommodation suitable for younger children in a Foundation Unit.

To allow younger pupils to be admitted, the age range for the school has to be changed.  This report confirms the statutory consultation process that must be undertaken to change the existing age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years.

The school will have 210 places (R-Y6) with a foundation stage unit able to accommodate up to 30 pupils on a part-time basis (15 pupils in the morning and 15 in the afternoon).  The admission number of 30 to the school (reception onwards) is unchanged. 

The report outlined the advantages of the Foundation Stage in meeting the needs of children and parents and gave details of the consultation timetable.

Resolved:-  (1)  That consultation on the proposal is commenced.

(2)  That a further report be submitted to a future meeting with details of the outcome of the consultation.

- to consider a proposal to make a prescribed alteration to the age range at Brinsworth Howarth J & I School

Consideration was given to a report of the School Organisation, Planning and Development Manager on a proposal to make prescribed alteration to the age range at Brinsworth Howarth Junior and Infant School.

Brinsworth Howarth Junior and Infant School is currently a 4-11 age range school.  It is proposed that internal adaptations are carried out in order to make accommodation suitable for younger children in a Foundation Unit.

To allow younger pupils to be admitted, the age range for the school has to be changed.  This report confirms the statutory consultation process that must be undertaken to change the existing age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years.

The school will have 210 places (R-Y6) with a foundation stage unit able to accommodate up to 30 pupils on a part-time basis (15 pupils in the morning and 15 in the afternoon).  The admission number of 30 to the school (reception onwards) is unchanged. 

The report set out the advantages to be gained of the Foundation Stage provision, both for the needs of children and parents, and gave details of the consultation timetable.

Resolved:-  (1)  That consultation on the proposal is commenced.

(2)  That a report be submitted to a future meeting with details of the outcome of the consultation.

- to consider a requirement to tender and contract for delivery of the project outputs

Consideration was given to a report of the Strategic Leader Resources and Information with regard to the Rotherham Schools Enterprise Project (working title) which has been awarded £1.4M of Single Pot funding via the Yorkshire Forward Sub-Regional Investment Plan.

As project sponsor the Education Culture and Leisure Services is required to tender and contract for the delivery of the project outputs for the period April 2005 to March 2009.

The report set out the following details:-

-                       Agencies contributing towards the Project

-                       Aims/Objectives/Cross cutting themes of the Project

-                       Tendering Process

-                       LEA Funding

-                       Project Activity

The project is fully funded through the Yorkshire Forward Single Investment plan for four years.

Match funding for the project will be provided by:-

·                    Rotherham Learning Partnership – Young Enterprise Project (TEC Attributable Funding)

·                    Rotherham Secondary Schools – Standards Fund for Key Stage 4 Activity

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received.

(2)                 That the commencement of the tendering process, including the submission of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) advertisement be approved.

(3)                 That the engagement of Legal Services to support and progress the tendering and contracting process be approved.

(4)  That a report be submitted to a future meeting on completion of the shortlisting exercise.

- to note the forecast outturn for 2004/05

Consideration was given to the eighth Budget Monitoring report of the Strategic Leader Resources and Information for the Programme Area in 2004/05.

The report gave a current forecast to overspend against budget for the financial year by £566k (0.35%).

This relates to budget pressures in both Culture and Leisure Services (£565k) and Education Services (£1k).

The report included details of a variance analysis.

The forecast Programme Area overspend is due to the Culture and Leisure Services overspend which primarily relates to continued pressure on sport and recreational facility budgets, as experienced in previous years (£565k).

In addition, Culture and Heritage forecast an overspend of £115k mainly due to a shortfall in income, due in part to a loss of room hire income at the Arts Centre due to the utilisation of the room as a call centre and the temporary closure of Clifton Park Museum.

The Culture and Leisure overspend is partly offset by a saving on the Library Service budget resulting from a moratorium on procurement spending and slippage in staff recruitment (£67k).

Education Services are expected to outturn on budget.

The forecast outturn as at January (£566k) shows an increase of £13k to the overspend reported in December.  All possible action is being taken to minimise overspending in the Programme Area, as detailed in the report submitted.

Resolved:-  That the forecast outturn for 2004/05 based on actual costs to 31^st January, and forecast costs to the end of March 2005, be noted.

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (details of terms proposed to the authority in the course of negotiations for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services).

Consideration was given to a report of the Strategic Leader Culture, Leisure and Lifelong Learning which contained details of an opportunity to work in partnership with Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club (RRUFC), to support the Council’s aspirations to develop Herringthorpe Playing Fields.

This would involve the Council agreeing to lease a section of the playing fields, large enough to accommodate 3 rugby pitches and a section of the changing pavilion.

The report set out the details of the proposal which included potential funding opportunities, development of Green Spaces Strategy, community consultation and the underlying principle of the development.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the proposal to lease a section of the playing field and changing pavilion to RRUFC be agreed in principle.

(2)               That a request to enter into discussions with RRUFC in order to develop a draft set of terms for the lease agreement be approved.

(3)  That a report be submitted to a future meeting once agreement has been reached on a draft set of terms.