Agenda item

Education Services - A verbal update.

Minutes:

Gemma Bowry and Martin Hallum from Hampshire County Council gave an update on the proposed secondary school which could be summarised as follows.

 

  1. That public consultation for the Secondary School design were planned for the Summer of 2024.
  2. That the design was in its early stages, and it was planned to consult during the summer of 2024, with a planning application submitted in the autumn of 2024.
  3. That the scheme was intended to be completed by September 2027, with an estimated two years of construction on-site due to challenging topography and ground conditions.
  4. That the project would comply with future statutory requirements, including building regulations and climate-sustainable policies.
  5. That the timings for delivery of the second primary school were uncertain but not likely to before 2029, as Cornerstone Primary School had sufficient capacity presently although pupil numbers were constantly under review.

 

Melissa Doughty from Hampshire County Council gave an update on the proposed new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school which could be summarised as follows:

 

  1. The intention was to split the site into two parts: a special needs school on the north and housing on the south.
  2. The school had secured funding as part of a successful bid with the Department for Education.
  3. The current, high-level timeline for the project included consulting in the Spring of 2024, construction starting in 2025, and completion in the late summer of 2026.

 

Members raised concerns and questions, which included the following:

 

  1. Were officers liaising with Head Teachers of nearby schools about the progress being made and the overall timing of the project?
  2. Could officers confirm if the all-weather pitches would be available by September 2027 as there was a significant need for sports pitches in North Whiteley and were crucial for local clubs like Whiteley Wanderers.
  3. Further questions were asked regarding the sports pitches, including the possibility of bringing forward the availability of the pitches, whether the sports pitches would be under the school's control and available for use by outside agencies like Whiteley Wanderers and how this would be managed.
  4. Regarding the proposed site for the SEND school, could officers advise how much housing would be included on the land?

 

These points were responded to by Gemma Bowry, Martin Hallum and Melissa Doughty accordingly.

 

 

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