NORTH COUNCIL

REPORT

To: LEARNING AND LEISURE Subject: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE ESTATE - SERVICES COMMITTEE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY From: HEAD OF RESOURCES

Date: 24‘h February 2014 Ref: JMcWLE

1.

1.I Committee will be aware that within the Council’s current 3 year financial strategy, capital resources of f188m have been included to continue the Schools & Centres 21 Programme. In addition, revenue savings totalling f3.075m require to be delivered in estate reviews.

1.2 From the f 188m the Council has already made commitments to a number of projects, these being:

Clyde Valley Campus (part funded by Scottish Futures Trust) - location A replacement Greenfaulds High School (part funded by Scottish Futures Trust) - location A new build Cumbernauld Academy/Cumbernauld Theatre - location Cumbernauld

1.3 Section 1 of the Local Government in Act 2003 sets out what a local authority is expected to demonstrate to fulfil1 a series of obligations placed upon it. One such obligation is the duty to secure best value by continuous improvement in performance of the authority’s functions, while maintaining an appropriate balance between quality and cost and having regard to economy, efficiency, effectiveness, equal opportunities and the achievement of sustainable development.

1.4 In considering the balance of funding that is available for the next stages of Schools & Centres 21 , coupled with the requirement to make revenue savings, it is considered by Learning and Leisure Services that the strategy moving forward for the next period of time is to consider school amalgamations.

1.5 In this regard a number of consultation papers have been prepared, seeking approval for the service to go out to a statutory consultation to close and amalgamate schools in the future. Importantly, the date of closure and amalgamation will not be set until a newly constructed school is available for occupation.

2. Background

2.1 At the June 2012 meeting of this committee, a paper was presented entitled “Towards a Sustainable Estate - Developing the Strategy”. Within that paper three strategic priorities were presented to committee and agreed. The strategic priorities were put in place in order to guide officers within the council on how best to utilise capital and revenue resources across the Learning and Leisure estate.

2.2 The three strategic priorities are as follows:

0 Strategic Priority 1: There should be an improvement in occupancykapacity ratios (known as building utilisation);

1 0 Strategic Priority 2: We should be increasing the number of schools rated as A or B for both condition and suitability; and

0 Strategic Priority 3: Any strategy should work towards reducing the council’s carbon footprint.

2.3 Significant improvement has been achieved across the Learning and Leisure estate since the introduction of these priorities and this will be reported to committee in the future as part of the updated Estate Management Plan which is currently being prepared within Learning and Leisure Services.

2.4 As well as general asset maintenance carried out across the estate, there have been significant headline projects which have been delivered by this council over the last nine years, broadly broken down into two phases.

2.5 Phase 1 was delivered in 2005/6 and 2007/8 and consisted of the following schools:

Glengowan Primary School - location St Mary’s Primary School - location Caldercruix Primary School - location Chapelhall St Aloysius’ Primary School - location Chapelhall Primary School - location New Stevenston St Patrick’s Primary School - location New Stevenston Plains Primary School - location Plains St David’s Primary School - location Plains Primary School - location Bargeddie St Kevin’s Primary School - location Bargeddie Primary School - location Glenboig Our Lady & St Joseph’s Primary School - location Glenboig Wishaw Academy Primary School - location Wishaw St lgnatius Primary School - location Wishaw St Andrew’s High School - location Coatbridge High School - location Coatbridge Airdrie Academy - location Airdrie

2.6 Phase 2 consisted of a significant number of additional schools delivered in 2010/11 and 201 1/12’ as follows:

Cathedral Primary School - location Firpark Primary School - location Motherwell All Saints Primary School - location Airdrie Rochsolloch Primary School - location Airdrie Calderbridge Primary School - location Wishaw Coltness High School - location Wishaw High School - location Chryston Calderhead High School - location Greenhill Primary School - location Coatbridge Drumpark Primary School - location Coatbridge St Ambrose High School - location Coatbridge Buchanan High School - location Coatbridge Caldervale High School - location Airdrie Dunbeth Nursery - location Coatbridge

3. Consultation Proposals

3.1 For each of the proposals on today’s agenda, as well as ensuring that the capital investment is utilised effectively along with the requirement to deliver revenue savings, an assessment has been carried out for each of the proposals against the three strategic priorities which were agreed by this committee in June 2012 and attached to this report as Appendix 1. Appendix 2 also details the full year revenue savings that could be delivered from these proposals. 2 3.2 When identifying the schools for amalgamation, officers within Learning and Leisure Services have worked with other services of the council in line with the implementation of our Estate Management Plan. Committee will recall that a number of core groups exist at officer level across the council to develop estate improvements and these groups generally consist of officers from the following services:

Learning & Leisure Services 0 Finance & Customer Services 0 Corporate Services Environmental & Regeneration Services

3.3 Importantly, when considering which schools to take forward, a key determinant has been to consider whether there is the availability of land, preferably and wherever possible in Council ownership, to construct a new school within the area. In addition to this, recognition has been given to the impact of the proposals against the three strategic priorities, delivering the capital investment in our local economy and the requirement to deliver revenue savings as we move forward.

3.4 The following proposals are brought to this Committee for consideration as to whether statutory consultation should be carried out:

0 An amalgamation of St Dominic’s Primary School and St Edward’s Primary School with a new build School on Craigneuk Playing Fields - location Airdrie.

An amalgamation of Primary School and Sikeside Primary School with a new build joint campus school with St Stephen’s Primary School on land adjacent to Calder Community Centre - location Coatbridge.

0 An amalgamation of Dunrobin Primary School and Petersburn Primary School with a new build school on land adjacent to Dunrobin Primary School - location Airdrie.

0 An amalgamation of Taylor High School and Our Lady’s High School, Motherwell with a CO- location of Bothwellpark High School on land adjacent to Merry Street, - location Motherwell. It should be noted that this is the only proposal where the suggested location of the amalgamated school is not within Council ownership.

4 Recommendation

4.1 Learning & Leisure Services Committee are asked to note the work that has been carried out in identifying potential areas for statutory education consultations and to consider whether these consultations should be taken forward.

James McKinstry Head of Resources

Members wishing further information should contact: Andrew Sutherland, Executive Director of Learning & Leisure Services, on 01236 812336; or James McKinstry, Head of Resources, on 01236 812269

3 Appendix 1 Assessment against the three strategic priorities, note of other uses in school and identificationof site for amalgamated Schools

LAP Strategic Priority 1: there Strategic Priority 2: increase Strategic Priority 3: Other Uses Suggested Site for an should be an improvement the number of schools rated any strategy should amalgamated School in occupancy/capacity as A or B for both condition work towards reducing ratios across our estate and suitability the overall Council carbon footmint St Dominic’s Airdrie St Edward’s is significantly There would be a 25% Current Building Energy St Edward’s 40/40 Craigneuk Park PS/St under occupied with a improvement against this Efficiency ratings: Nursery Edward’s PS utilisation of 51%. strategic priority. St Edward’s D St Dominic’s St Edward’s PS: St Dominic’s D+ 48/48 Nursery Condition B Suitability B

St Dominic’s PS: Condition C Suitability B P It should be noted that for a new school build all ratings would be A

Carnbroe PS/ Coat bridge Sikeside Primary School is There would be a 33% Current Building Energy Sikeside Land adjacent to Calder Sikeside PS significantly under improvement against this Efficiency ratings: 50/50 Nursery Community Centre. co-located occupied with a utilisation strategic priority. with a new St of 42%. Stephen’s PS Sikeside PS: Sikeside PS D+ St Stephen’s St Stephen’s Primary Condition C Carnbroe PS D+ Early Years Base School is under-occupied Suitability B St Stephen‘s E ASN Unit with a utilisation of 63%. Carnbroe PS: Condition B Suitability B jt Stephen’s: Condition C Suitability B

It should be noted that for a new school build all ratings would be A

Dunrobin PS/ Airdrie O/C ratios are high at both A new school would achieve a Current Building Energy ASN (Petersburn) and Dunrobin PS site Petersburn PS Petersburn and Dunrobin 50% improvement in the A/B Efficiency ratings: 40/40 Nursery Primary Schools. A threshold. Importantly, it Petersburn D combined roll, as at should be noted that all Dunrobin E+ September 2013, is in the indicators would be A on a region of 491. new build.

Whilst the current O/C Dunrobin PS: ratio of 90% is reasonable, Condition C consideration should be Suitability B given to capacity of a new school, if taken forward. Petersburn PS: Condition C Suitability B

Taylor HS/ Motherwell For Taylor High School the A 33%improvement would be Taylor High School Ravenscraig: OLHS, o/c ratio is 79%, but may achieved currently has an energy Land adjacent to Merry Motherwell/ increase as a result of rating of C Street. park potential house building on Taylor HS: the Ravenscraig Condition C OLHS currently has an development Suitability B energy rating of C+

The o/c ratio for Our Lady’s 0 LHS, Motherwell: Bothwellpark currently High School, at 60% Condition B has an energy rating of remains significantly below Suitability B C+ capacity Bothwellpark: Condition B Suitabilitv C Appendix 2

Potential Recurring Annual Revenue Savings for School Amalgamations

I Amalaamation ProDosal: f000

-- ._ - School Rationalisation proposals have already achieved savings as f000

B Rationalisation Savings Already Achieved 1,302

Sum of A plus B 2,982

Note 1: Potential recurring costs until remaining sites are disposed of -125 Potential one-off costs -142

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